Off Topic Question

by JB2wheeler Thu Oct 24, 2013 8:52 am

My daughter says it's aginst the law for a toddler to ride in the front seat of a car. My grand daughter is a tall skinny 6 year old. Anyone know when a child can ride in the front seat? JB

by 77mali Thu Oct 24, 2013 9:04 am

Here in MA it depends on age & weight. I think it's 10 to 12 here & they have to weigh at least 70 or 80 pounds. KY's law might differ though.

They also want the kid in a car seat of some type until they weigh a certain amount. I'm surprised they don't legislate that kids from infancy to 18 have to have a car seat & suckle a "binky" here.

by dynchel Thu Oct 24, 2013 9:39 am

It think the front seat thing is mostly because of air bags.

by Joe73 Thu Oct 24, 2013 10:09 am

Usually varies by state. Id go online for.your states department of.motor.vehicles website. Should be.some onfo on there.

by Hawk03 Thu Oct 24, 2013 10:12 am

It reads like she can't ride in front until she is 12yrs old.

http://transportation.ky.gov/Highway-Safety/Documents/ChildSeat.pdf

http://www.madisoncountyhealthdept.org/Documents/frontvsback119.pdf

by thatfnthing Thu Oct 24, 2013 10:21 am

In the end it's really all about physical size -- the airbags can kill a person who is too small.

by ant7377 Thu Oct 24, 2013 10:33 am

Were kids not being made when the car was built? I rode on the center arm rest of my dads cutlass all the time . Put her in a good car seat or belt her in good . Ask the cops like Joe says they'll know.

by 77mali Thu Oct 24, 2013 12:11 pm

I can see the airbag being an issue for a small child or small adult for that matter but if you don't have airbags & the kid is secured properly (ie age appropriate child safety seat, etc) I don't get what the problem is w/ them riding up front after age 5 or 6. That's why passenger side airbags are supposed to "turn-off" now, right when they sense a lighter load? When my oldest was a baby, I had a rear facing seat for her that I used to put up front w/ me in my old Delta 88. She was secured by both the seat-belts of the car as well as the ones keeping her in the child seat itself. I used to hold her hand until she fell asleep for the ride home after daycare. I don't get it nowaday's.

by thatfnthing Thu Oct 24, 2013 1:08 pm

You can turn them off manually. Passenger airbags now have multiple levels of explosive force, and the weight sensor is used to determine how big the person is and thus how much force to use.

For vehicles without airbags, I totally agree with letting them ride up front as long as they're properly belted in. I suspect when the law was written, they were only looking at modern cars, which now always have federally mandated airbags. Nobody bothered to consider older vehicles.

by JB2wheeler Thu Oct 24, 2013 1:53 pm

Thanks for all replies. Well, I guess she wont be riding in the Elkie for a while. The one website mentioned being tall enough that you can bend your knees at the front edge of the seat while sitting upright. I am so short that I barely qualify for that myself. JB

by jerry46765 Thu Oct 24, 2013 6:46 pm

OK, hold on for a minute.
No state can prohibit you from transporting a child in a vintage car.
Just use common sense and there will be no issues.

I have a 5 & 10 year old and they both have ridden in all my old cars/trucks since they were toddlers.
If there are lap belts, buckle them in properly.
If you also have shoulder straps, get a cheap booster seat so the shoulder strap crosses in the correct shoulder area like an adult.
Verify where the child's head lands on the seat or if the head rest needs adjustment (if there is one).

The last thing you would want to do is put your kids in danger.
Use the same safety precautions you would in a new car, but if the car is not equipped with certain precautions obviously you can’t use them.

Last time I checked, the human population hasn't become extinct because we didn't have government nannies present to coordinate our every move.

Get a cheap booster seat at Walmart and enjoy your Grand daughter while riding in the El Camino.

Thanks –

Jerry

by thatfnthing Fri Oct 25, 2013 9:09 am

JB2wheeler wrote:Well, I guess she wont be riding in the Elkie for a while.

Don't kids always want to ride in the back anyway? Smile

by dynchel Fri Oct 25, 2013 9:44 am

Not mine, she will ride in the front any chance she gets. I throw the booster in the front of the chevelle she loves it. I made the mistake of letting her rise in the back of my pick up once (not on any streets, just on a property) she constantly asks to do that again...fail on my part Rolling Eyes

by 77mali Fri Oct 25, 2013 10:44 am

I used to ride in trailers on the back of tractors & in rack trucks going about 50mph standing & holding on to the rails behind the cab or sitting on large milk containers when I was like 10.

Nothing ever happened to me.
Suspect

by dynchel Fri Oct 25, 2013 10:51 am

My dad had a '49 GMC fire engine for many years and my brother and I would ride on the tail board all the Time. Also I remember going to the roundy round races with my dad and his friend while riding in the bed of a rusted to Turd

'72 chevy pickup. (So bad you could see the rear tires from inside the bed). We're both still here.

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