Child Seats in the Front with no airbags?

911boost · 911boost's Garage

What are everyones opinions on this? I know you cannot put rearward facing or normal child seats in the front seats of airbag equipped cars, but do you see a problem doing this in pre-airbag 911?

just curious, thats all. All input appreciated.

Bill

NZ9Iwon · 03-06-2003, 12:56 PM

I do it, but it doesnt feel quite right. My boy is big enough now that he sits in the back on a small booster. That is where i prefer the kids....whatever car.

71T Targa · 03-06-2003, 12:57 PM

I know that the 911 is not a truck (FAR from it...) but if it were, the front seat is where you'd put the kid. Probably never even think twice about it.

Mike Kast · Mike Kast's Garage

I've been thinking the same thing. The car I just bought has no seatbelts in the back. I'll most likely get them but I'm not sure. The car seat will do a number on those old leather seats up front though won't they? Does anyone know the law on this?

island911 · 03-06-2003, 01:04 PM

a backward facing seat is best in a frontal collision. (w/o airbags exploding) . .front facing is best for a rear end collision.
But what do I know. . .on car rides, the only thing used to keep me in place as a toddler was a stern "you stay there." . ..it didn't always work.

steve911 · steve911's Garage

Bill--
I regularly have my 7 year old with me, almost always in the front seat in my '85 Targa. I have a booster seat for him, but that's mainly so he can better see out the windows.

I don't think there's anything wrong with the front seats of our cars - in fact, pre-87 cars only have lap belts in the rear, which I think are a lot less safe than shoulder belts. I went so far as to install rear shoulder belts in mine for when my son needs to sit in the back (like when his older sister says so!)

rear shoulder belt installation in an '86 is painless as well

just my .02

03-06-2003, 01:07 PM

I put my 9 month old (in a car seat) in the front seat facing back. I use one of those metal belt stays to keep them from loosening. With no air bags its really not an issue. Just make sure the belts are as tight as you can get them. The best part is seeing other dads looking down from their minivans wondering were they went wrong!

adamred · adamred's Garage

In my town, the cops will install your car seats for you, free of charge, perfect installation. When my wife got her latest family mobile I asked the authorities about putting my 4 year old front facing in my SC. They indicated that it was perfectly fine with them as long as there were no airbags, and she was fron t facing.

My daughter loves taking daddy's sports car, can't wait to get my son involved as well....he's only 13 mos, a bit young....

911boost · 911boost's Garage

Keep the replies coming!

I did nto think there was an issue, I just wanted to make sure thats all. I agree, I don't remeber having a car seat that I had to sit in, ofcourse I did not wear a bike helmet either, and aren't there laws about that now?

Bill

DByers · 03-06-2003, 01:13 PM

Both my kids ride with me in the back. (5-1/2 & almost 3) When its just one of them I use a booster seat in the front. As long as they are secure, I see no problem with it.

NZ9Iwon · 03-06-2003, 01:15 PM

I agree with steve911 on the lap belt issue.....ive put rear lap/diagonals in my '84 for this very reason. There were some disturbing reports regarding lapbelt injuries that didnt make pleasant reading, especially regarding smaller bodies.

JWest · 03-06-2003, 01:37 PM

Front is fine - use a thick towel to protect the leather.

jyl · jyl's Garage

I'd think the rear seat (with properly positioned 3-point belt or child seat) is somewhat safer than the front since (1) the child is further from the impact (assuming a frontal crash) and thus has more crush zone and (2) the front seatback is a broad, padded surface for the child to strike. Recall that the front passenger seat is sometimes referred to as the "death seat". Well, among people who work on car crashes anyway.

That said, if the child seat fit in the front but not the rear I wouldn't hesitate to put it in the front, rather than have the child less well-restrained in the rear seat.

My kids usually ride in the rear - to stop them from fighting over the front seat. Occasionally I'll let my daughter ride in the front.

Emission · Emission's Garage

I installed a harness in the rear for my son (he is four-years-old). He loves it (gotta love that fake smile)!

reed930 · 03-06-2003, 04:57 PM

This topic is a favorite in our house between me and my wife. I've tried to convince her that whatever safety benefit there is to being in an accident in the rear versus front seat--and I don't argue this point--is outweighed by the increased possibility of an accident occurring with her back there.

And why is this? Well, I don't know about the rest of you but my five year-old is a constant talker. Trying to respond to her when she rides in the back seat is far more distracting than when she rides in the front with me. It's just hard to communicate with anyone riding in the back seat of an air-cooled Porsche.

So when she rides with me, she sits on a booster in the front seat. A side bonus: The special closeness a parent feels with their child riding shotgun. They are some of the memories that will last me a lifetime.

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

My 6 year old rides in the front seat with no booster. In the back I only have a lap belt, and like others I believe that 3 point in the front is better than 2 point in the back. I think the ideal might be 3 point in the back, but there also isn't a lot of crumple space between the engine and the rear passenger compartment. In the event of a bad impact I get the feeling that the driver and passenger area is probably the most likely to remain intact.

island911 · 03-06-2003, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Robert Coats
Yeah, just make sure they wear a seatbelt.

LeeH · 03-06-2003, 06:24 PM

My daughter (3 in April) rides in the front all the time. I have to use a locking clip, but have found a method for installing the car seat very tightly.

I slide the passenger seat back as far as it will go. Then I install the car seat using the clip. I, too, use a big towel to save the leather. After the car seat is as tight as I can get it I slide the passenger seat as far forward as the seat belt will allow. The makes the car seat amazingly snug in the passneger's seat.

87turbolook911 · 87turbolook911's Garage

This way my wife can ride shot gun

Nice family cruise...

HarryD · 03-07-2003, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jyl

My kids usually ride in the rear - to stop them from fighting over the front seat. Occasionally I'll let my daughter ride in the front.

Ditto here. My kids ride in the rear when they both are in the car or in the front if I is just me and one of them. I tried putting one in front and one in back, but they fight too much about who will sit up front with Daddy

.

Wherever they sit, they always want to go more places in my car. And they are just 7 and 9. What am I going to do when they get thier driving license?