I’ve seen lots of really young children sit on the front seat beside the driver. I’ve had to educate children when I visit them in schools that they need to be a certain age before they should be allowed to sit there. But parents should know these things too. Recently, a parent reached out to me because she was worried that more parents aren’t aware of the implications.
According to Tom Hurd, the spokesperson of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), an unrestrained occupant in an outboard rear seat is 26% less likely to die in a crash than an unrestrained front seat occupant. Move this occupant to the centre rear seat and the same unrestrained passenger is 37% safer than the unrestrained front seat occupant. So, the centre seat at the back is safer. Over half of car crashes are from frontal impact. So you are safer the farther you are away from the crash due less impact. This is one of the reasons kids are safer on the back seat.
However, irrespective of seat position, children are to be strapped and seated at the back. While babies should be strapped in their car seats always. There are actually functional seatbelts on car seats behind the driver. So, it’s always surprising to see kids on the loose there. If you, the parent is strapped, why shouldn’t your kids be too? Teaching them to belt up from a young age means that when they graduate to the seat beside the driver or the driver seat they’d always put on their seatbelts. It also means that during sudden car movements, the gravity of harm to the child is reduced.
Another reason children shouldn’t be in the front seat is because their bodies cannot yet withstand the force with which the airbag is released. Their body size means they are more likely to be propelled forward than most adults and this is what increases impact as they hit the airbag. Did you know that in Nigeria and most countries only children 12 years and above should sit on the front seat? It is not even allowed to carry the child or a baby on your lap on that seat. Therefore we need to make this adjustment in order to keep them safe.
I also believe that it is not too early to teach them to be calm in moving vehicles as their actions could lead to accidents because of distraction. Let us consciously teach them safety habits because it would have a ripple effect on Society. In my book The Adventures of Muna, a chapter handles aspects of road safety. You should check it out.
By the way, did you know it is against the law to transport children under 16 at the back of a Pick Up truck?
