[Dan_C]

Hi,

A friend who is looking at an MCS has asked me if it would be possible to put a child seat in the front and disable the front airbags.

I am fairly sure this can not be done as the isofix anchors are in the back. Has anyone done a front seat? Can Mini disable the front airbags?

Any advice would be good.

[5280Motoring]

It really should only be done if the airbags can be disabled, which is something I've never looked into. Still, I think most would agree children and child seats are better in the back.

[Rakey]

Would really recommend you check with your dealer, as he will know if it can be done, the effect it will have on your warranty, and then also make sure you check with your car insurance company before doing it that it does not effect your cover.

[MoonPie]

eep I agree with 5280Monkey

I'd be extremely hesitant to put a baby in the front seat of any car!

[Rakey]

its actually more common for mothers to put the baby seat in front seat in UK, as they like to be able to access the baby and see them.

when seats are tested, we test them as fitted in the front seat of a car, with a simulated dash board on the rig to ensure that it does not touch it in an impact. Its an important part of the regulations, if it touches it fails, if the babys head touches it fails.

obvioulsy this is true to the UK standards, I haven't worked on developing any car seats for the US market so don't know how it works over there. And I know that Australia has again different laws and regulations to both US and UK.

But if it is in the front, the airbag has to be turned off.

[RustyPaint]

The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in the US) wants all children under 12 to be in the back seat unless not equipt or alreay full of children. But the way it looks the actual details of the law are diffrent from state to state.

Here is a brochure from the NHTSA....

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/inju...re/inside.html

[Rakey]

good link to a site, think the part that is relevant to this thread is (thinking you were originally looking at rearward seats)

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/CPS/csr2001...ts2_Guide.html

the previous link was for booster seats, which are the 4-8 age range, baby normally refers to 0-18 months. But again a great link, will use that in future, as if I don't have enough standards and regulations to read for work as it is, but I do find them interesting

[RustyPaint]

Hmmm... another thought (while being board and reading "standards and regulations" )

"NHTSA recommends that children not be placed next to active side air bags unless the manufacturer states that it is safe."

dose the side impact air bags extend to the rear seats?

edit:

"NHTSA has asked each manufacturer of vehicles with rear side air bags to ship the vehicles to dealers with these air bags deactivated, unless the manufacturer has determined that those side air bags impose no significant risk to children"

as foud on: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/nhtsa/annou.../ca101499.html

[NEMINI]

no they are for front seat passengers only

[Rakey]

interesting stuff there, here in the UK not seen anything about side impact air bags effect on car seats, so couldn't really comment. But its a valid point and one I would like to read more about in future.

I know that work has been done on the effect pre-tension devices have on child restraints (car seats), and no adverse responses from seats were found as far as I am aware.

I also know that the current European standard R44.03 that we have over there is up for a review, so infant seats have to give side impact so there are lots of manufacturers now putting this into the new seats hitting the market. When this will become a legislation, your guess is as good as mine, the European regulators take ages to get things through, as there are so many parties involved in the decision process, which is a good thing mainly.

This is not my specialiality field I will have to say, but have had brief involvement in these products before, it is very interesting, even if it is very heavy going to understand it all.

My best advice to anyone looking at buying a carseat in any country, is speak to your dealer about the car and any queries regarding regulations, and always speak to the best retailer about the child products, seek advise from professional organisations according to your coutry!

Never skimp or try to save a penny on car seats as at the end of the day it is there to protect the most valuable thing you have in the world, your kids, which can't be replaced!

[WarGod]

When i was speccing up my Cooper i asked for the airbag to be turned off (passenger side) the dealer chappy said it could be done, but involved some fiddling around as there are sensors and LED's that need to be disabled etc.

So to answer the original question it would appear yes is the answer but you must get it done by a dealer.

[dietcokeplease]

I read up on this quite a lot.

With the imminent arrival of baby2, we were faced with a dilemma of how to fit a rear facing child seat and Amelia's forward-facing Recaro Start. Our Zafira only has a centre lap belt, so the child seats would have to occupy the two outer rear seats leaving no easy access for mum.

The rear facing seat is located in the back and Amelia is seated in the front seat. The precautions I took were to ensure that the seat was set on the rear most stop, on it's lowest settings and that her legs could dangle like an adults by adjusting the Recaro. It's not an ideal situation, but Vauxhall have said that the curtain and side airbags won't interfere with the seat. By putting the seat to the rearmost, we're minimising any airbag effect and maximising the crumple zone.

[SoggyCornFlakes]

I beleive the issue with the air bags and baby seats is that teh baby is facing the rear of the car when on the front seat so if the aor bag goes off it effectivley rockets the bay and seat backwards into the oncoming chair and rear passengers. Rakey can probably go into the whys and wherefore in far more detail though

Never seen such serious posting from Rakey

[HarryHBMCC]

MINI's side airbags don't go to the back. The AHPSII curtain airbags do go to the back but they only reach down the windows and won't affect a child at all. Back seat is the safest for children.

Also, mothers and fathers should not be checking on their baby while driving. They should not be giving them food or drink or other things. Babies and children are a large driving distraction which causes bad accidents. If you must attend to your baby, please pull over or better yet, into a parking lot where you can stop the car, turn off the engine, and attend to them. People think cell phones are a big distraction but small children are worse. Keep them and you safe by putting them in the back and ignoring them while you are driving.

Harry

[Rakey]

ssssh, Soggy, can go into more, but best not to while i have been on the pop all night

maybe tomrrow, but please stop spoiling my reputation on the site, next thing I know I might be classed as some one that knows stuff and be listened too

More beer please vicar!

[swamos]

Well, I'm from Queensland, and up here kids are not allowed into the front seat of any car (airbags or not) until they are 12 or something like that. I might move this thread into the Aussie area in a day or so so that the locals can comment.

[milliethemini]

Quote: Originally Posted by HarryIndiBlue

MINI's side airbags don't go to the back. The AHPSII curtain airbags do go to the back but they only reach down the windows and won't affect a child at all. Back seat is the safest for children.

Also, mothers and fathers should not be checking on their baby while driving. They should not be giving them food or drink or other things. Babies and children are a large driving distraction which causes bad accidents. If you must attend to your baby, please pull over or better yet, into a parking lot where you can stop the car, turn off the engine, and attend to them. People think cell phones are a big distraction but small children are worse. Keep them and you safe by putting them in the back and ignoring them while you are driving.

Harry

My sentiments exactly, I was going to say the exact same thing.

Anytime I have to do something in the car (put in a new CD, take a sip from my mug, etc) I do it while waiting at a stop light, and quickly at that (thanks to my MFSW, the radio is no longer a disctraction).

It is dangerous to try to do several things at the same time while driving a vehicle. This reminds me of the time I was waiting at a stoplight, and there was a lady in front of me. She was smoking a cigarette in one hand, and then started talking on a cell phone, which she held in the other. When the light turned green, I expected that she would cease do one or the other, but to my amazement, she did neither and started driving off!!!

I stayed well back of her, which was just as well. 50 yards down, her car started to 'wobble', and she threw her cigarette out the window and the cell phone down on the passenger seat as she grabbed the steering wheel with both hands to regain control of the car (she had been trying to steer the car with her knees!!!)

Moral? Strive to drive, stay alive :-)

[MoonPie]

...and to think hubby and his 3 sisters used to go on the 'wee' hills around here in Virginia as kids...in their parents cherry red VW Bus, mom would take them and on the back roads let them all stand up as they drove over a big hill and yell "WEEEeeEEEEeeeEEEEeeEEeee!!! " All doing well today

I know it's recommended that you disable the front passenger airbags even for small kids that are too big for carseats.

[ScHizO]

Being a Mum for a budding 3yr old amazon heretic. I would like to say this. Unless you have 6 other (not sure where you would put them) super kids in the back seat that you're left putting the wee one in the front seat, the safest (even though semi-inconvient) possible location there is for your child..is the back seat.

Living here in Europe I have noticed other mum's, dad's, aunts, uncles, grandparents, your cousin you only see 5 times a year based on their yearly parolement (why you would trust them with your child, is beyond me), having their children in the front seat. Sure you can keep an eye on them, but whos keeping an eye on the road? the oma crossing the street with poochie on her left side and you coming in from the right side, mind you that being her blind eye? the kamekazi pedesterian or bicycle rider that appears out of nowhere or god forbid that curve or tree that just jumped out in front of you..

Its just not safe. Pull over (when its safe), deal with the child screaming for a bottle, slice of apple or because the sun is in their eye or their bother/sister is bugging the ***** out of them. Children are a distraction period. Much more than one of cell phone, ciggy smoking, knee driving car drivers, simply because well kids are more important, urgent to take care and above all costs make them happy again (I mean really how can you enjoy your driivng with a screaming kid in the back (mum's in law are a different story).

but if you must..disable air bags, tighten up that car seat and make sure all possible items to soothe child are nearby or at hand...pull over if you must..just drive safe, drive to arrive..blah blah blah...

cheers!

[dietcokeplease]

I think a lot of you are basing your comments on hearsay and perceived reactions - "Kids in the front/back? - Oh No! They make noise and you'll drive along whilst feeding and changing their nappy."

My daughter just sits in the front seat, sucks her thumb, watches the world go by and falls asleep. Likewise several other babies I know - the car is one of the best soothers and sleep aid for a baby.