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At What Age Can Children Sit in the Front Seat of a Car?

By: Elizabeth Grace - Updated: 10 Mar 2021 | comments*Discuss
 
Booster Seat Children Seat Belt

We get lots of questions about child car seats, children in the front seats of cars, what age a child can stop using a car seat, use a booster seat instead etc. The main things to remember are:

  • Child under 3 - If there is no room for a 3rd child seat in the back seat (because of children/child seats already in the back) a 3rd child under the age of 3 MUST NOT travel unless they are in the front WITH the correct child seat
  • Child over 3 - If there is no room for the third child seat in the rear, then a child over 3 can sit in the back using an adult belt
  • Child over 3 and up to 135cm - If there is no room for a third child over the age of 3 in the rear then they can use the front seat WITH the correct child seat
  • Children over 3 years of age and up to 135cm (or 12 years of age) - MUST use the correct child seat (usually the type of car seat needed varies according to a child's weight)
  • Where a child over 3 and up to 12 (or 135cm) is using an appropriate seat, this should be used in the rear where possible

My son, who is 7 years old and 140cm tall, was picked up from school today by a friend but she was stopped by a traffic warden and advised that he is not allowed in the front seat unless he is over 16 and that he does require a booster seat.
From reading the info on this site I understand that as long as he exceeds 135cm, he does not need a booster seat, and I cannot see anything documented that states he cannot sit in the front seat of a car. Can you help?

While the laws regarding the transport of children are specific, they can be a bit confusing. Although you didn’t specifically say that your son was wearing a seat belt when your friend was stopped by the traffic warden, I’m assuming that he was. According to current law in the UK, your friend was not acting unlawfully in transporting your son, so the traffic warden was out of line to suggest that she was. If he was unbelted, however, then he would not have been allowed to ride in the front seat and the warden was partially correct.

With regards to car seat laws in the UK, here are the specifics that apply to your son, at age 7 and 140cm. Normally, 7 year olds require booster seats (they are necessary until the age of 12, unless the child is at least 135cm tall), but since your son is tall for his age, the law does not require him to use one. Additionally, there is no law that prevents him from riding in the front seat of a car, as long as he is wearing a seat belt.

While the law was not broken when your friend transported your son from school, it is important to remember that it is considered far safer for children to ride in the rear seat of a car than in the front.

Booster Seats Offer Additional Safety

Booster seats, while not required for a child of your son’s height, do provide an additional layer of safety, and the Department for Transport recommends that children should continue using booster seats until they are 150cm tall. So, for everyday transportation, he would ideally be seated in a back seat booster that is appropriate for his weight.

If the situation was to arise again and your son needs to unexpectedly be transported by a friend, he can ride in the front seat if he wears a seat belt. Children or any other passengers cannot ride in a car without wearing a seat belt.

Airbag Precautions

When placing children in the front seat of a car you must also consider the airbag, and if the car has one it MUST be switched off. Children have been killed by car airbags, even when the collision was only a minor one and one which wouldn't have normally resulted in death.

Even at the age of 7 and at the height of 140cm your is still at risk from the car airbag if he is in the front seat of a car.

  • Children of that age and even older have not fully developed and can not withstand the force with which the airbag is released
  • Their back, neck and stomach muscles are weaker than that of an adult
  • A child's head is also out of proportion to the rest of their body which makes it harder for them to kept an upright position during collisions, resulting in their body being propelled further forward than an adult and thus increasing the impact as they hit the airbag

As a guide children under the age of 12 should sit in the back seat on the correct child seat for their age, so for your son of 7 that would be a booster seat. Contrary to popular belief the safest place for a child to sit is the middle seat of the back seat of the car, as long as it has a 3 point seat belt.

If you, or anyone transporting your child, do put your child in the front seat of the car make sure that the airbag is turned off and that the seat is slid backwards so it is further away from the dashboard. If your airbag does not have a switch to turn it off you can have on installed, the car manufacturer will be able to do this.

Baby Car Seats

You should never place a baby in a rear facing car seat in the front seat of a car which has an air bag. The position of the car seat places the baby's head in the direct firing line of the airbag - which is released at a speed of approximately 200mph! Ideally all baby car seats should be used in the rear of the car even if they are front facing ones. Read more about child and baby car seats in our feature here.

Read Information on child car seat rules on the government website.

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My grandson is 6 . He is a special needs child and has a fully supported special needs car seat. He is going into hospital next week for an operation. My daughter will be driving him there and the journey is over 1 hour. We feel he would travel better next to her in his car seat in front of car. The airbags would be deactivated. Does anyone know if this would be legal please?
Kazzy - 10-Mar-21 @ 1:22 PM
I am eleven and I've been waiting for being able to sit in the front seat. Am I allowed?
Lizzard - 7-Jan-20 @ 7:02 PM
The government site and others state you only swith off airbags in the front when you are using a rear facing seat. For booster seats in the front, the advice is to have the air bags on, but the seat as far back as possible. Which advice is correct?
jaj - 3-Nov-19 @ 1:49 PM
Hi, I'm planning on making a long journey where all the rear seats will be full of luggage. I was planning on putting my 5 year old in the front seat using the appropriate child seat. Is this legal?
Jf - 15-Oct-19 @ 2:32 PM
Hello, my in-laws are looking for a solution to carrying my 3 children in the car, age 10 months, 2years and 4 years. three child seats will not fit in the rear. Is it safer to have the eldest child who is 4, in the back without a booster, using the seatbelt, or in the front in her high backed booster, with air bag turned off? I'm worried that with the air bag turned off, she risks hitting the dashboard in a crash, and if the seat is moved as far back as possible, the child behind her in the back risks hitting her chair? TIA
Oddsocks - 29-Aug-19 @ 10:59 AM
Hi We have 2 kids, the elder one is 4 years and the younger one is 2 years old.Can I check if it is legally ok for - my elder one to sit in the front seat of the car (placed in a child seat & air bag off) & - my younger one in the rear seat on the passenger side (place is a baby seat facing forward).- my wife in the rear on the driver side. Thanks in advance. Kumar
Kumar - 23-Jul-19 @ 10:45 AM
My daughters dad has her car seat in the front seat, is this allowed? She is 4 next month. TIA
Roz - 22-Apr-19 @ 9:57 PM
Hello, my in-laws are looking for a solution to carrying my 3 children in the car, when three child seats will not fit in the rear Is it safer to have the eldest child who is 7, in the back without a booster, using the seatbelt, or in the front in her high backed booster, with air bag turned off? I'm worried that with the air bag turned off, she risks hitting the dashboard in a crash, and if the seat is moved as far back as possible, the child behind her in the back risks hitting her chair? Thanks
Stacey - 7-Apr-19 @ 8:05 PM
We are expecting twins and have a 2 year old. How should we approach car safety?
Matt - 12-Jan-19 @ 7:51 AM
My 14 year old sits in the back seat all the time!
Niccy - 8-Sep-18 @ 8:47 PM
My grand daughter is 10yrs but very tall so dose the front passenger seat rule go by age or height ?
Jo-nutnut - 24-Jul-18 @ 10:35 AM
My 5 yr old daughter has a terminal illness and can suffer from seizures and spasms. I have a 3 yr old boy too . Could my boy sit in the front passenger seat in his car seat so my partner can sit in the back and comfort my daughter during long journeys?
Gavb - 8-May-18 @ 12:19 AM
I have been told that the law changed on the 1st May, only allowing children to travel in the front seat of the car if all the back seating was taken up by younger children. Is this correct?
Izzy - 5-May-18 @ 9:23 AM
Yes Dr Castelini is right on cars there a sticker on the mirros flip down and it says childern 12 and up are ok to sit in the front passenger seat
Prof Balsano - 14-Apr-18 @ 10:50 PM
It is fine to put a 12 year old child in the front passenger seat
Dr Castelini - 14-Apr-18 @ 10:45 PM
Karla - Your Question:
Hi my Step Daughter is 12 and she likes sitting in the front but is their a age limit that children can sit in the front of the car thanks
Our Response:
The law requires all children travelling in the front or rear seat of any car, van or goods vehicle must use the correct child car seat until they are either 135 cm in height or 12 years old.
SafeKids - 29-Mar-18 @ 11:06 AM
Hi my Step Daughter is 12 and she likes sitting in the front but is their a age limit that children can sit in the front of the car thanks
Karla - 28-Mar-18 @ 11:37 AM
My daughter is 6. I do not let her travel in the front passenger seat due to the fact that there is no switch to turn the airbag off. However this is becoming increasingly inconvenient with lift Rita's etc. I asked my manufacturer to fit a switch and they won't do this because it would be classed as a modification, which incidentally might also invalidate my insurance. The manufacturersaid it was fine for her to travel in her car seat in the front if it is far back and this accords with the manual. This is contrary to the safety advice you provide and my paramount concern is my daughter 's safety.The alternative is to buy a new car which I don't want to do as my car is perfectly good otherwise and I'm more of a "make do and mend" type. In these circumstances do you have any other suggestions? Thank you!
LF - 3-Sep-17 @ 4:38 PM
I am currently having a disagreement with my ex about child car safety guidelines. He is putting either my 5 year old son or 3 year old daughter in the front passenger seat ( in their appropriate forwarding facing chair) and leaving the airbag off. This is for no reason other than he wants too (against my wishes) and there is space in the back for the two seats to go. I am aware this is not illegal but guidelines advise that the back is the safest and to put children in the back when possible, but I'm unclear about the airbag guidelines in this situation. If you can help that would be appreciated, thanks!
Lucy - 15-Jul-17 @ 8:35 PM
Hi, just to go sure: My son is 9 and 149cm - this means he doesn´t need a child seat AND he is allowed to sit on a front seat?! Thanks and greetings from Continental Europe! :)
Stef - 9-Jul-17 @ 1:11 PM
My daughter 2 years old , she is crazy about sitting in front sit , she cry a lot when she sit back ,she has correct car sit . Can she sit in the front with airbag off ?
Helen - 21-Jun-17 @ 3:49 PM
Hi I only have at the moment a Citroen van it only has two seats,my daughter is 6 years old.if she is in the correct seat is she allowed in the van with the airbag off.
Mason35 - 12-Jun-17 @ 6:32 PM
I was wondering if my 6 year old daughter (with a booster seat) would be able to travel in the front seat of my car.
IamLOL - 10-Jun-17 @ 10:01 AM
Hi, I have a classic car with no rear seat belts. Can my 2year old travel in his forward facing seat in the front of the car? What is the safety implication of that as if it's legal but not safe I wouldn't want to do it.
Adz - 15-May-17 @ 9:07 PM
I have a 1973 sports car. Can my 5 and 8 year old grandchildren come out for a ride with me? Not together of course.
willie - 25-Mar-17 @ 3:12 PM
I am expecting a third child, and will not be able to fit three car seats in the back of my car. So I will need to put one in the front seat. I will have a 4-year-old in a high-back booster, a 2-year-old in a forward-facing group 1 seat, and a baby in a group 0 (rear-facing) seat. Which would be the best (safest) one to put in the front? I can turn off the passenger airbag. (This should only be a problem for occasional short journeys, as we use my husband's car at weekends which is big enough for three in back).
Becky - 22-Feb-17 @ 12:40 PM
I would advise anyone to check their vehicles drivers handbook sectionon child seating a lot of manufacturers do not recommend children being seated in the front I personally would go with the manufacturer and not some blanket ruling trying to cover all vehicles
Denty - 20-Feb-17 @ 8:52 PM
Personally, I think all children under the age of 14 should be in the back seat. They must wear their seat belts
Miss Piggy - 12-Jan-17 @ 6:19 PM
Would be nice if you actually answered the f***ing question, instead of just quoting random parts of the DVLA website. Are there any rules governing when a child can sit in the front seat (age; height; weight or whatever)?? A.
Asterion - 1-Jan-17 @ 2:07 PM
My daughter is 22 months old had the correct child seat and airbag has been disabled can she sit in the front of car
Kirsty - 9-Oct-16 @ 11:07 AM
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