Disabling front passenger airbag

[Hillbilly]

Legalities aside, that link explains that the danger of having a child in the front seat is the "powerful airbag" and bad seatbelt placement for a short person. If the airbag is deactivated when a child is in the front seat, and they are seated in a suitably fitted child seat, then those risk factors are removed. Unless there is further research to prove otherwise (and I'm open to read of such if so), a child placed safely in a front seat position with airbag deactivated is as safe as one placed in the back seat.

My eldest daughter has travelled in the front seat (of a 2 seat car, with airbag deactivated) on many occasions and I do not believe that the risk of doing so was any greater than if she had been in the back of a 5 seat car.

The probable reason for not being able to disable the airbag is that you may turn it off to take the kid out and then forget to turn it on when you come home. Someone else takes the car out, has a prang and the bag doesnt go off. How would you feel then.

[jamesatfish]

The probable reason for not being able to disable the airbag is that you may turn it off to take the kid out and then forget to turn it on when you come home. Someone else takes the car out, has a prang and the bag doesnt go off. How would you feel then.

Of course I'd feel like ****, just as I would if I had a prang with someone in the front seat and the airbag did go off.

That said, if I forget to turn the airbag back on when I take out the child seat, the big orange 'Passenger Airbag Off' warning light helps to remind me also.