kids and cars

[Adam]

what are the rules for kids in the front seat of cars.

My nephew is 10 can he sit in the front seat.

[mander]

He can. Its not suggested though if the car has airbags as if the deploy in an accident, it could be fatal. From CAA's website:

Statistics show that children 12 years and under are 25% safer riding in the back seat of a vehicle. The back seat is best, particularly in those vehicles equipped with an air bag. Children sitting too close to a deploying air bag can be seriously, even fatally injured. Rear-facing child car seats should never be placed in a seating position that has an active air bag. When the air bag deploys it can strike the back of the seat with force and could injure the child occupant. The centre rear seating position provides good protection because it is the point furthest away from impact in any direction.
http://www.caa.ca/e/news-issues/child-safety.shtml

[Lesley]

Although the norm is 12 years old for front seat you also need to look at the size of the child. Weight and height are as important, if not more so, than the age of the child. A large ten year old would safer than a small 12 year old. My son is big and has been safe in the front seat since age 8. A couple of his friends even at age 13 are still small and slight and would be safer riding in the back. If the child can't ride in the back for whatever reason then make sure that the car seat is as far back as it can go.


I found this online and the numbers make sense to me.

When Is It Safe for My Child to Use the Seat Belt Without a Booster?
A child may stop using a booster seat when the child is big enough to use the vehicle's lap and shoulder belts while sitting with his or her back against the vehicle's seat back and his or her knees bent over the edge of the seat without slouching. The lap belt should rest low, on top of the thighs, and the shoulder belt should lie comfortably across the middle of the chest.

The child should be able to remain in this position throughout the entire trip. This usually happens when the child reaches a height of 4 feet 9 inches (about 150 centimeters).

Remember, the shoulder strap of the seat belt should never be fastened behind your child's back or under his or her arm. And you should never buckle two children (or an adult and a child) under one seat belt - a crash could cause their heads to collide.