Uncle Roger's Notebooks of Daily Life

Front Row Seats for Kids

I know some parents who, in an emergency, have put their kid in the front seat of their car for a few blocks on quiet city streets, but no one really lets their kid ride up front regularly or for any significant distance. I am, however, thinking of doing just that.

In a little over a week, Jared and I will be headed off to the Mendocino National Forest for an annual Land Rover gathering and rally. Unfortunately, because of Sara's involvement in Seussical, she can't afford to miss any more dance classes; she and Rachel and Ezra will stay home. So it's just me and Jared, as it was last year. This year, however, I'm thinking of having Jared ride in the front seat.

According to Safety Belt Safe U.S.A., the back seat is twice as safe for children as the front seat. California law requires children age 6 and under or weighing 60 pounds or less (with some exceptions, of course) to be in the back seat and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends they stay there until they are 12 years old. On a side note, the NHTSA recommends kids use a booster seat until they are at least 8 years old and 4'9" (57") tall.

So why am I going to let Jared ride in the front seat? He'll be in the back seat on the trip to Mendo, of course; our route involves highways 80, 24, 680, 505, and 5 at the very least. But once we get to camp and start out on the trails, I think he'll move up front. Isn't that dangerous, you ask? Well, yes and no.

Bear in mind that we'll be traveling on four-wheel-drive trails and we'll being going 5-10mph at the most, sometimes much slower. We'll also be driving in single-file with plenty of space between vehicles, so the chance of an accident (of the traditional sort) is very slim. We won't be doing much in the way of really gonzo stuff, so any sort of rollover or other serious trouble is unlikely -- and I would have him get out for something like that anyway.

Even so, why take the risk? There are a number of reasons. If he's up front, he can man the CB radio so I can concentrate on driving and he'll have easier access to the iPod which he definitely likes to control. But most importantly, it puts us side-by-side so we can share the experience together, rather than over my shoulder. When he's in the back seat, he's looking at and talking to the back of my head. Up front, we're in it together. And the value of that far outweighs the minor risk of an unlikely accident on the trail.

I'm sure there are plenty of folks who will think I'm insane for this and possibly a few who will applaud my decision. A number of years ago, I remember there was quite the uproar over a family that drove into camp with their teenage daughter riding in the tire on the bonnet. For the last few hundred feet at a couple of miles per hour, the parents saw no harm in it. Others chastised them for such reckless endangerment of their child. As you might guess, I didn't see a problem with it. I don't plan on letting Jared do that, but I think that letting him ride in the front seat, as allowed by California law, is okay.

What do you think?