The recommended and legal age for a child to sit in the front seat varies by country and safety guidelines, but the consensus among safety experts and regulations is as follows:
- The American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Safety Council recommend that children under 13 years old should ride in the back seat for safety reasons, due to the dangers posed by front airbags and the higher impact risk in front-seat collisions
- In many places, children must use appropriate child restraints or booster seats until they reach a certain height (around 135-150 cm or 4'5" to 4'9") or age (usually 12 or 13 years old). For example, in the UK, children aged 3 to 12 or up to 135 cm tall must use a child seat or booster in the front or back, but the back seat is safer and preferred
- Children under 3 years old generally should not sit in the front seat unless there is no space in the back, and if so, the airbag must be deactivated if a rear-facing seat is used
- Some countries or regions have specific laws: for instance, in Austria, children 13 years and older and at least 140 cm tall can sit in the front seat with a seatbelt
. In Australia (ACT), children under 4 should never sit in the front, and those 4-7 only if the back seat is fully occupied by younger children
Summary:
- Ideally, children should sit in the back seat until at least age 12 or 13.
- Children under 13 are generally advised not to sit in the front seat due to airbag risks.
- Legal minimums often require children to be at least 12 or 13 years old and/or a certain height (135-150 cm) to sit in the front seat without a child restraint.
- If a child must sit in the front, proper child restraints must be used, and airbags may need to be disabled for rear-facing seats.
This means that while laws vary, the safest and most widely recommended practice is to wait until a child is at least 12 or 13 years old and tall enough before allowing them to sit in the front seat
