lap belt or air bag?

[Sadie's Mum]

Just taken on a couple of new mindees and just trying to work out the logistics of where to sit everyone in the car for the school runs!

Is it ok to use a lap belt for an older child who doesn't need a booster seat (9 years old but tall and over the height to need one by law)?

Or if they are tall enough not to need a booster seat can they sit in the front with an airbag? I haven't got a switch to turn my airbag off but I could move the seat right back?

Think I need a bigger car - I've already got a 7 seater! lol All the other children I will have with me are all in high back boosters or booster cushions.

[FizzysFriends]

I would put them in the front, I would never use a lap belt unless its with a car seat designed for a lap belt. If there is a crash they do a lot of damaged!!!!

[Playmate]

I have a 9 year old who is over the height limit (she is my own) If I need her to travel in the front which I do occaisionally I insist she uses a booster because this brings her up to the height of an adult. You can get an indication as to whether they are too short for the front where the belt sits over their shoulder. If if it is cutting across the neck they are too short. I'm only 5ft and when sittinging my huasband's Zafira I should officially have a booster because the strap doesn't fit me properly Thats why we always use my C8 for long journeys!
I'm sure for short journeys at low speeds(ie school runs) lap belts are fine but wouldn't use them on the motorway.
This is just my personal opinion, might be worth checking out officially.

[Sadie's Mum]

that's great, thank you! I was also thinking the better place to put her would be in the front.

The front seatbelt is adjustable so I should be able to lower that right down to the right height for her.

It's only actually 1 day a week that I will to have her in the front, the other 2 days she's with me there will be room in the back with a normal seat belt!

[Allie]

Much safer in the front seat, put it as far back as possible, to make it safer still

Allie

[Pipsqueak]

Airbags can seriously hurt or even kill a child under the age of 12

[FizzysFriends]

Airbags can seriously hurt or even kill a child under the age of 12

Serious question, how? I would have thought the only danger is suffocation but when I was in a crash the airbags weren't anywhere near the seats?

[Pipsqueak]

the force of them going of can be like crush injuries. Thats why if you must put a child in a seat with an airbag - the seat must be as far back as possible.

My friend suffered quite bad grazing, bruising and burn like injuries on his face when the airbag went of in a crash (he was the driver). I know the injuries would be preferable to the alternative though

http://www.safermotoring.co.uk/airba...-children.html

[TheBTeam]

Hi, we had the road safety team out and they said that although the law says 135cm for children not requiring boosters, but the actual safe height to stop using them is 150cm, the law was set less because they said that was the bare minimum that they thought they could get away with, but best for the child is 150cm, so i would look carefully at the position of the neck with the belt and decide from there as this varies enormously from car to car.

[FizzysFriends]

I got burns too when mine went off but they were on the back of my hand which is where the canister that fired the airbag landed.

I read the link and it says that its the combination of an air bag, young child and not in the correct seat that causes the injury, which makes me feel better as DD always sits in the front but is always in the correct seat and is regualry checked that shes still in the right one for height and weight.

When DD was born I got a new car with curtain airbags and I was told that the only seat she was safe in was the middle one.

[Pipsqueak]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...ns-health.html

[TheBTeam]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...ns-health.html

Just read this, however i am guessing that crashing in the front without an airbag could be much worse than tinnitus.