Is the back seat really the safest place in a car for a child?

The child could also be removed from the car more easily in an emergency. With the second generation airbags on newer cars, and cut-off switches available for older cars, airbags would not be an issue. I'm convinced that the four children that died by being forgotten in cars in Houston this summer would be alive if they had been in the front seat.

Asked by Captain-Ozone 39 months ago Similar questions: back seat safest place car child Transportation > Automotive.

Similar questions: back seat safest place car child.

They can't all ride in the front seat! (said sarcastically) I looked up some statistics about deaths due to being left in a hot car. This link dallas.injuryboard.com/wrongful-death/so... has an interesting article and says that there are an average of 36 deaths a year.

Half of them are from children being accidentally left in the car by a caregiver. The rest are either intentional (about 20%) or accidental--kids playing in hot cars get trapped and then die from the extreme heat. This link cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/childpas.htm has various statistics about children and auto accidents.

I didn't see anything specific to front seat deaths, but approximately 1,135 children a year die in accidents. It also said that riding in the back seat reduces the odds of a fatality in an accident by 40%. In addition to mentioning the dangers of airbags to children, the article stated that the rear seat is the safest place in the car in the event of a collision, and that children under 12 should always ride in the rear seat.

Looking at the statistics, it seems clear that using the front seat to avoid forgetting a child would be too much of a risk in case of an accident, even with the airbags disables. As a parent, I certainly wouldn't consider doing that. I don't need my kids in the front seat to be able to remember they're with me.

It's tragic when a baby dies from being left in a hot car, but I'd rather chalk it up to parental irresponsibility than a defect in child restraint laws. As for being distracted by the kids in the back seat, I know that is a problem for some parents. Not being able to see an infant in a rear facing seat is an annoyance to others, which is why most stores sell little mirrors you can use to be able to see the baby's face.

Other than that, setting certain rules in the car can cut back on a lot of the distraction. If my kids get too loud, I pull over tell them we'll sit there until they can be quiet so I can drive. If they have toys in the car and drop one, they have to wait until the car is parked before I get it back for them.

If they are messing with their seatbelts (one of my boys could get out of his carseat without undoing any of the buckles when he was two years old), I pull over and stay stopped until they're ready to behave. I warn them all the time that I have to pay attention to the road so we don't have an accident and get hurt. I tell them that if they aren't buckled up right I can get a ticket and get into trouble with the police.

The idea that the police would get involved seems to have the greatest impact on them. We have three kids, and the youngest two are still in a booster seat and car seat. They are crazy.

It's my JOB as the parent to set rules for riding in the car and stick with it! Every parent is capable of that, but not all parents choose to do it. Just like some people without kids will drive while eating, putting on makeup, reading the newspaper, talking on a cell phone, texting their buddies, etc. There's more than one way to be an irresponsible driver, but it's especially irritating to me when people drive like idiots with kids in the car.

So anyway, for all my rambling, I think you have a point about kids not being forgotten if they're in the front seat. I'm just not sure if it's worth the risk of not having children ride in the back. Honestly, I think if there weren't laws about seat belts and car seats, many parents wouldn't bother with them.

Many grandparents wouldn't bother with them. I know my in-laws tend to roll their eyes at how strict I am about carseats because "we didn't use them and our kids lived! " It's not pleasant to think about, but there are probably way too many parents who only have their kids ride in the car safely because they don't want a ticket or because they think, "Oh, it's only a short trip!

Nothing will happen!" Famous last words! (yes I am a paranoid and overprotective parent!

LOL) Finally, if you have a baby or child in the back seat maybe it's a good idea to keep a reminder of the child's presence in the front seat. The diaper bag, a toy, etc. Seeing it when you get out of the car would be a visual reminder to also get the baby out of the car. Sources: links above, my own two cents.

**alli-oop .

When I was young, the catchphrase was "babies in the back seat cause accidents" of course, with the corollary: "Accidents in the back seat cause babies" the logic was with a lone parent (not to be confused with a single parent) was driving with an infant, the distraction would be greater with the child in the back seat than with the child in the front seat.

2 Per studies, the safest seat for anyone in a car is the center of the back seat! This user has been banned from Askville.

2 Per studies, the safest seat for anyone in a car is the center of the back seat! .

Per studies, the safest seat for anyone in a car is the center of the back seat!

3 It's sad that 4 children were left in cars, but you can't compare that to the thousands of accidents where children survive because they're safely in the back seat. This user has been banned from Askville.

3 It's sad that 4 children were left in cars, but you can't compare that to the thousands of accidents where children survive because they're safely in the back seat.

It's sad that 4 children were left in cars, but you can't compare that to the thousands of accidents where children survive because they're safely in the back seat.

Which one is good?" "What is a good SUV to rent for a vacation that has a roomy back seat. One that would fit two car seats with a adult in" "Right now, what is in the back seat of your car? " "i am looking for a steering wheel for over a front car seat for back toddler seat" "Is it legal to have an 11 year old child in the front seat of a car?

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What is a good SUV to rent for a vacation that has a roomy back seat. One that would fit two car seats with a adult in.

I am looking for a steering wheel for over a front car seat for back toddler seat.

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