Child Car Seat

[rickybotts_123]

Hello I have a Vectra C 07 am I ok to put my 3 year old daughter in the front passenger seat? I have a Britax Eclipse Child Car Seat

Any help or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Ben50n]

Switch off the front passengers airbag!

[Keif]

Switch off the front passengers airbag!

Not necessarily. I have my son in the front seat of my Signum in his seat.
The fitting guide for his seat says it can go in the front with the airbag still on, as long as the front seat is adjusted to be as far away from the dashboard as possible. It does vary from seat to seat and car to car though.

Not sure if yours is the same Ricky.
Take a look at http://www.britax.co.uk/car-seats/fit-finder

[james chambers]

hmmmm! ive thought about this putting my little lad in the front, but if I did this i'd make a rod for my own back! in my opinion they should be in the back.

[Keif]

I's have never considered it, but I once I looked on the Maxi Cosi site, under the fitting guide. I tried it, it was very clear he was totally safe from the airbag if it went off.

[james chambers]

LOL keif, I would'nt trust Josh in the front, he goes in the front of the Cav but thats enough, I dont want him sitting next to me as he's always nattering and can be very off putting

[headscratcher]

matey thats a grey area that opened up a lot of problems for proffesional drivers likke myself,
its a nightmare trying to explain to a new mother , the legislation, how the seat goes,{has to go that way for certain makes of car seats}
some are now made where the child is forward facing,
sorry but i think that is nuts,
as a parent i would do anything for my kids ,
in my eyes unless there old enough to sit in the front, ie 14 yrs of age, then they go in the back,
can i also add, not getting at anyone here whatso ever,
are you aware of the age limits for front seat occupation,
aware of the age required by law as to who gets prosecuted,
its 14 or i think its 4ft 6inch,
you as the parent/gaurdian are responsible people wear there seat belts,
any child over the age of 14 can be prosecuted,
dont want p on your parade mate,
its great being comfortable with kids in the front ,
but for me GET IN THE BACK OR NO MACCY D,DO AS YOUR TOLD, lol

jason

[Keif]

It's something I looked into at length before buying a car seat while my wife was pregnant. I had to, I needed a seat that could fit into 4 cars.

Legally, the OP is clear fitting a Front facing Child Seat (which is what a Britax Eclipse Child Car Seat is). Any issue will be the compatability between the Chikd Seat/restraint and Vauxhall.

The seat limit occupation age limits were dropped in 2006 when the law changed (from September 18th, 2006)

The SAFEST Position in a car for a child to sit (in a suitable seat/restraint) is the Centre rear seat, however either due to seatbelts/lap belts/No rear seats (or owning a Signum) it is sometimes not posible.

Rear facing seats should be used normally upto 13kg (12-15months) and is ILLEGAL to fit a Rear Facing seat in the front passenger seat with an Active Airbag. After 13kgs then a front facing seat is required.

That front facing seat legally can be fitted in any passenger seat in the car as long as it fits correctly (doesn't move side to side or front to back), and depending on make/model of the child restraint or car. Some need the Airbag turning off, some don't, as long as the front seat is as far away from the dash as possible.

I have two cars that child seats DON'T fit in the rear seats, the belts are not quite long enough. As long as the seat is fitted correctly in the front, there is no law broken for a child to travel in the front seat, in a forward facing child seat.

Given the chioce the Rear Passenger side seat is the normal location to find my boy in the car.

Here's a few links for you.
http://www.childcarseats.org.uk/law/...newlaw06v2.pdf
Taken from
http://www.childcarseats.org.uk/law/fromseptember06.htm

http://www.rospa.com/faqs/detail.aspx?faq=348

[headscratcher]

sorry kief, i wasnt saying that it was illegal or unsafe,
the limits etc for front seat occupation are different for myself as i drive a coach for a living,
i have had to {just recently } update my own managers with certain car seats,
i was presented with this a few weeks back,
the seat belt would not reach round ,
the lady had put the child in the seat at the front and facing the front,
due to having a proffesional licence i can find myself in deep trouble,
so had to check with ground staff first,

i prefer the kids to be in the back ,i just feel safer,
dont bother me there screaming and kicking, as a coach driver most of my conversations are from the back,