AA confirms only time it's safe to put your baby in the front seat of the car
The AA has revealed the only time it's safe for your baby to travel in the front seat of your car, and it all comes down to airbag safety and how the seat is positioned
Parents naturally want to keep their little ones as safe as possible on the road, and that includes choosing the best spot in the car for their child's car seat. But where's truly safest?
While it might be tempting to place your child in the front passenger seat so you can keep an eye on them, experts from the AA have confirmed that the back seat is almost always the better choice. Most road collisions involve a frontal impact, which makes the back seat, especially the centre rear position, the safest place for children to travel. It offers the most distance from any potential crash point and protects the child from intruding structures.
The AA stresses that the centre-rear seat, if properly equipped with a seatbelt or ISOFIX anchor, is the most secure place of all for a child restraint. Being furthest from the doors, it offers a buffer zone in the event of a side impact.
Still, there are some cases where having a child in the front can be considered, but only under specific conditions. If you're driving alone with one child, it may feel reassuring for both of you to sit close together. This arrangement can provide comfort to a nervous child and reduce the driver's need to constantly check the rear seat, potentially lowering the risk of a distraction-related accident.
However, this only applies when using a forward-facing seat and when your car's safety features are carefully considered and adjusted. And when it comes to rear-facing car seats in the front, the AA is clear: it's a no-go if the airbag cannot be disabled.
Airbags inflate with immense force in the event of a crash and can cause fatal injuries to a rear-facing child whose head is close to the dashboard. 'An active airbag will cause severe injury or death,' the AA warns.
If you do choose to install a forward-facing child seat in the front, the first step is to consult your car's manual. Manufacturers may have specific guidance based on your vehicle's design and airbag setup.
Generally, the advice is to push the front passenger seat as far back as it will go. This creates additional space between your child and the dashboard, reducing the risk if the airbag deploys.
Even then, using the front seat should be a last resort, and only when necessary. The AA maintains that the rear seats, particularly the middle, offer superior safety for young passengers.
So while the front seat might seem more convenient, especially for quick trips or to settle a restless toddler, the back seat remains the gold standard for child safety on the road. Taking a few extra minutes to fit the seat correctly and choose the safest spot could make all the difference in the event of an accident.
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