my parents and i have been having this argument for decades!!! what are the real requirements to ride int he front seat and do they matter???
The one with the shotgun rides next to the one with the steering wheel; since, it’s hard to hold a loaded shotgun and drive at the same time.
weight height age?
The state laws may differ.
It depends. The front seat of what kind of vehicle?
congrats. if this is what your family has to argue about, then you are doing well.
who’s the boss gets to ride in front.
who has the most financial interest makes the decisions.
who is the biggest baddest meanest gets to have their own way
(at least until the boss gets home)
The driver always gets to ride in the front seat and it does matter. The only exception are NBA stars in a sub compact, if they are the driver they get to remove the drivers seat and sit in the back seat when they drive.
In my family, only those who were able to correctly use and to spell the word DEBACLE were allowed to sit in the front seat.
;-))
Seriously, however, in terms of “requirements”, it would probably be best to consult the DMV in your state regarding this issue. This is something that probably varies to some extent from one state to another.
Also, because of air bags, car manufacturers may specify minimum heights and weights for front seat passengers. Obviously, a child safety seat is never to be placed in a front seat, but even those who are too big for a child safety seat may be considered to be too small to ride safely in the front seat. Consult your Owner’s Manual for possible restrictions.
If everyone in your family wants to sit in the front pssenger seat, just take turns. End of argument.
Depends on the vehicle and what kind of airbag system (if any). The height/weight and age of the person…And what state you live in. Each state has their own laws. Some states go by age no matter how tall you are or how much you weigh. Others go by weight and height only with no regard to age.
The driver should certainly ride in the front seat; as for adult passengers, that’s up to you.
Our children alway rode in the backseat since it was much easier to secure the car seats there in the 70s, when the front seatbacks were not locking. In today’s cars, you have to disable the airbag for kids to ride in the front seat.
Your parents set the “real requirements”. Period.
They get to pick the radio station too.
I had to put the foot down with my Son…He likes Rap…it gives me a damn headache. At least my daughter liked Jazz.
Check or do a web search on your local DMV. In Wisconsin, the front seat passenger must be at least 40 lbs and 4 years of age. But then if those are met, the person must be in a booster seat in the front seat until I think 80 lbs and somewhere over 4 ft in height. Most current new cars have weight sensors in the front passenger seat to deactivate the airbag if the passenger is under 80 lbs in weight.
Now by state law, someone under 4 years and 40 lbs can ride in the front seat if no backseat is available. Like a standard cab pickup truck or a 2-seater car.
Essentially, if the passenger is under 80 lbs and under 4 ft-something, the safest place to be in a car is the backseat. They’ll get the best protection in an accident.
Barring these restrictions, the person making the car payments sets the rules. Don’t like it? Pony up the money so you set the rules and hire your own chauffer.
I went through all of this when my kids were young. Now that my kids are grown adults I just “go with the flow”, but it’s not that often they’re in the car with me either.
I don’t know/care if there are any legal requirements, but it’s mostly common sense. I always put car seats in the back seat of any car. Once the kids were too big for car seats they either rode in the front of back (I don’t do air bags in any cars). I wouldn’t put a kid (or an adult) in a seating position with an air bag if I had any choice. I also made them wear motorcycle helmets when they were young.