Can a Child on a Booster Seat Travel in the Front?

Q.

Hi, My daughter is expecting her fourth child. This will put all four under the age of 12 years old.

Is she allowed to put the eldest child aged 10 in the front seat of a car with a booster seat? If not what are regulations in this instance?

A.

The law states that children of any age are allowed to travel in the front seat of a car although they MUST use the appropriate child restraint.

So it is legal for them to travel in the front seat of the car, but as the child in question is under 12, you will need to work out what the appropriate restraint is. How tall they are will have a bearing on whether or not they need to use a booster cushion, and if so, what type of cushion they will need.

Over 1.35m tall

If the child is 1.35m tall or over then they can travel using just the normal seat belt restraint.

Under 1.35m tall

If the child is under 1.35m tall then they will need a booster seat or cushion - in this case it’s likely the appropriate restraint would be a ‘group 3 – for children weighing 22 -36kgs and roughly 6-11 years old', though you would need to confirm this by checking the child's height.

It is both legal and relatively safe for the cushions to be used in the front, but it is safer for them to be used in the rear of the car where possible (especially when an airbag is fitted). The child will need to use the booster cushion until they reach either 1.35cm or 12 years of age, then they will be legally allowed to travel in the front of the car with just a seatbelt as restraint.

Wearing an adult seat belt

When a child is travelling in the front seat using a booster cushion, the adult seat belt must be worn, taking the following into consideration:

• It should be as tight as possible around the child
• The belt needs to sit below the stomach, covering the pelvic region
• The diagonal strap should sit on the shoulder, not on the child’s neck.

Travelling with a rear-facing child seat in the front

Although not relevant in this case, it’s also important to note that if you need to transport a child in a rear facing car set, then you must NEVER put the child in the front of the car if the vehicle is protected by an airbag, as this can cause serious injury and/or death to the child in question.