Question about trucks and kids

[happy2bamom]

OK, so if you own a smaller truck (without a backseat) is it legal to have a carseat in the front seat? I see this scenario a lot in the carpool at school pick-up. I'm assuming that it is legal or someone at school would say something to the drivers, right?

If it is legal, is it safe? Do those smaller trucks have airbags?

I don't plan to ever own a truck, I"m just genuinely curious.

[eh613c]

From carseat.org

"Can I put my child in the front seat of a pickup truck?

Many pickup trucks have back seats that are too small for child safety seats. Researchers at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia have found that the risk of injury to children riding in the back seat of a compact extended-cab pickup truck is five times higher than when riding in any other vehicle. Injuries appear to be caused by hitting the inside of the pickup.

If you have a larger pickup with a back seat that faces the front of the truck, a safety seat may be installed there if the truck’s manual recommends it and at least 80% of the safety seat’s base sits on the truck seat cushion. You can reduce the risk of injury for forward-facing children by tethering the safety seat. Using a top tether can greatly reduce the chance of a child’s head striking the interior of the pickup.

Installation of a safety seat on a side-facing jump seat is not allowed by any child restraint manufacturer.

If you must install a safety seat in the front seat of a pickup truck, disable the air bag by using the air bag on-off switch. If an on-off switch is not available, you may ask NHTSA to let you have one installed. Until a switch can be installed, do not transport a rear-facing child in the front seat. Some passenger air bags will expand to cover the center seating position, so installing a safety seat in that location may be dangerous to your child. Check the vehicle owner’s manual to find out where child safety seats may be installed. Installing a safety seat in the front seat of any vehicle increases the risk of death to your child by more than 30%, so a pickup truck without a back seat is not the safest choice for transporting a child."

Personally, I wouldn't do it.

[Tondi G]

my neighbors F150 that is a standard cab with no back seat has a way to disable the airbag. They drive the kids in the pick up all the time (used to put the convertible seat or booster in there too).