If you decide that a child can safely
ride up front, be sure to:
Carefully read the owner’s manual,
and make sure you understand all
seat belt instructions and all safety
information.
Move the vehicle seat to the rear-
most position.
Have the child sit up straight, back
against the seat, and feet on or
near the floor.
Check that the child’s seat belt is
properly and securely positioned.
Physically, a child must be large
enough for the lap/shoulder belt to
properly fit (see pages
and
). If
the seat belt does not fit properly,
with or without the child sitting on a
booster seat, the child should not sit
in front.
To safely ride in front, a child must
be able to follow the rules, including
sitting properly, and wearing the seat
belt properly throughout a ride.
A side airbag also poses risks. If any
part of a larger child’s body is in the
path of a deploying side airbag, the
child could receive possibly serious
injuries.
If the passenger’s front airbag
inflates in a moderate to severe
frontal collision, the airbag can cause
serious injuries to a child who is
unrestrained, improperly restrained,
sitting too close to the airbag, or out
of position.
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that all children
age 12 and under be properly
restrained in the back seat.
Of course, children vary widely. And
while age may be one indicator of
when a child can safely ride in front,
there are other important factors you
should consider.
Supervise the child. Even a mature
child sometimes needs to be
reminded to fasten the seat belt or
sit properly.
16
51
Physical Size
Maturity
When Can a Larger Child Sit in
Front
Protecting Larger Children
Dr
iv
er
and
P
asseng
er
Saf
e
ty
53
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