Child in front seat booster with airbag

I've been giving this some thought. I have a four y.o. boy, normal sized for his age at about 41" and 40 lbs. Looking at him in his booster in the back seat, I wonder how exactly he is any safer than in the front seat. Issues: - He's four. Therefore he's constantly straining to see around the front seatback reducing the effectiveness of the side protection and belts. - Booster seats don't have a lot of side protection anyway. I have a pretty well padded one and I have no illusions of what would happen in a side impact or rollover. - The seatback is right in front of his face. I slide it up, but he could still hit it. What about the front seat? OHMYGOD the airbag will knock his head off! But will it really? In the 1990s, there were 86 children who died during air bag deployments who were front seat passengers. 76 of these children were totally unrestrained or improperly restrained. Four others had special circumstances. So at most, six little kids who were properly positioned to be helped by airbags were killed by airbags in ten years. I wonder how many were saved by them? Hundreds? Thousands? So I ask you this--putting aside all the mumbo jumbo you read and hear on this topic--and thinking specifically about a child properly restrained in the front seat, with the seat all the way back, wouldn't it be significantly safer than in the backseat?

This is sort of a morbid post, but I wonder if the deaths of children properly secured in the front relate to suffocation from the airbag? I used to debate the same issue when my son was young, but I kept him in the back, as I was uncertain with the airbag issue and it seemed safer in my large sedan - plus, at ages under 8 in my state, it is the law. But now he is nine, and about 120 pounds (future linebacker), which is larger than many adult women, so I let him choose where he wants to sit now. P.S. Where are you in SE PA? I work in Exton.

When my daughter first turned big enough to move out of her booster seat, I always let her sit in the rear. She's 14 now, and not until a few years ago was she promoted to the front passenger seat. Even that, I'd make sure the front seat is all the way back, regardless of which vehicle she's in. Your son is only 4, it's your call and your decision on what is best for his safety, as long as you don't break the law. My personal opinion, not that I'd recommend it, if he's properly secured, and all the way back, I feel he should be safe. The airbag won't suffocate you, it's the impact that does damage. As for the front passenger seatback, I think it helps by being a cushion in the event of a frontal crash for the rear passenger.

No, I don't intend to break the law--at least not when he's four. When he's six, I'll definitely think about it though. My #1 and #2 fears in a crash (left over from my rally days) are head injury in a rollover and basal skull fracture in a hard front end or side hit. Airbags--front and side--are a big help in both. Broken nose and bruised face are pretty far down the list.

Hey RallyJon, My daughter is almost 4 years old. She's about 35 lbs., and I just moved her to the front seat (in a booster) for two reasons: 1. In a rear-end collision, I fear the engine could injure her more than being in the front. 2. She says it's too windy riding in the back (and Daddy doesn't like putting the top up much). Questions: A. Is #1 above at all valid? B. I found a short, red seatbelt underneath the front passenger seat. Does connecting a buckle disable the airbag?

Quotes source post: 6753274

That should be the airbag deactivation receiver for Porsche child/infant seats. The male "buckle" that goes in it, deactivating the front passenger airbag, is attached to the Porsche child/infant seat. IIRC the "buckle" is not the same as a standard seat belt buckle, but I've read that some people have successfully made it work with a standard buckle.

Quotes source post: 6753274

That sounds wise. Better get on his good side now or--at the rate he's growing--by the time he's 12 he'll have you stuffed in the back seat and he'll be driving. I do know that all modern cars are designed to have the engine go under the passenger compartment in the case of a huge crash that displaces it. I've never seen a Porsche wreck where the engine ended up inside, but I haven't seen too many, so who knows...

My son is also 4 years old and I will put him in the front seat on occasion (DD BMW) with the seat back. Truly once they are that age and appropriatly buckled in, they are probably safer in the front seat. IMO.. When I had my 993 I'd take him in it too (No rear seat.) Look at the seat I bought for him. It is the best booster I've found because it relocates standard seatbelt based on the childs size (ie, the head bolster is adjustable to height and has a seat belt guide). Plus it has the side head impact bolsters... It's like my new race seat. The best part it is a Recaro and was $60 Old Pics from the 993 he was about 3.5 yrs old here..

My 3.5 year old daughter rides in the front seat with a booster, but I have the passenger air bag kit installed in my 996 and have the air bag disabled. However sometimes she prefer to sit in the back without the booster. The back seat without booster is almost perfect for her size, but I do worry about her hitting the back on the front seat in case of a sudden stop.

Quotes source post: 6753435

Thanks for the education! Now time to find a buckle that will deactivate the bag.... or solder a few wires together.

It is pretty ridiculous that Porsche didn't just put a button on the dash to deactivate it like every other car maker.

Good point RallyJon! Maybe this calls for a mod. I'm thinking this switch: http://e-partssales.com/Merchant2/me...Code=POTE996CM Anybody know what wires on the seat-belt assembly need to be hooked up?

RallyJon, you think Porsche is bad. The Ferrari which costs 3 times more money doesn't even have the option for you to add a device to disable the air bag. At least Porsche added a plug under the passenger seat to allow you to add the deactivition device. Once the deactivation device is installed you will need to take your car to the dealer to have them turn on the child seat deacitivation function, without turning on that function when the device is activated it will turn off all the air bags including the driver's air bag. When the device works properly it will only turn off the passenger air bag when the special seat belt buckle is plugged in.

Quotes source post: 6753274

Doug996InKC, If you have the RED female buckle already installed under the front passenger seat all you need to do is insert a small screwdriver or other thin object in the slot and trip the sensor leaver inside the buckle to deactivate the air bag. To verify the air bag is deactivated the dash air bag light will flash when you when you start your car. To reverse the process and re-activate the air bag you simply press the button on the buckle of the red belt. This is assuming the car's computer was reprogramed by the dealer to acknowledge the buckle when the deactivation bar/buckle was installed. Of course you could also just use a Porsche branded Britax child seat that comes with the other half of the red buckle to deactivate the air bags. There are also patterns on the net that show how to modify a WV or 944 seat belt buckle to work with the deactivation bar as well as templates for making your own buckle from flat metal stock. And lastly there is even an electrical schematic floating around illustrating how to make a switch to turn off the air bags on the net. RallyJon, I have a Boxster with the air bag deactivation bar installed so my kids, 6 & 8, can ride with me. Your son "should" be ok in the front as I think you can slide the seat in a 996 further back than the Boxster, but I'd still recommend deactivating the air bag on the passenger side to reduce the risk of injury. Even with the safety measures I've taken to reduce the chances of injury, I know my kids are safer in the back of my Volvo. In the Porsche, just sitting in traffic you can see the front bumpers of most trucks and SUVs are close to eye level, and I’d hate to think of the consequences of jetting T-boned by an inattentive driver. Aron

Quotes source post: 6754717

Thanks for the wealth of info. Much appreciated!

Doug; I was interested in this now and a while ago as well and did a bunch or research. I got opinions and other behvaiors and products from listers but also I thought that a deep dive into the science and medicine around child car seats was required. Given the accessibility of information and google etc. the internet is now a great tool. Given the size and age of your child they should be in a belt positioning booster seat. My 6.5 year old is also just 50 or so pounds. He is in a only in a booster currently if I understand your post correctly. Does the booster have a back to it? It should. You should try to keep your child in the recommended position as long as possible. Each "phase" that they graduate to in the car is more dangerous. i.e. forward facing 5 point harness seat is less safe than rear facing harness seat. Forward facing BPB seat is more dangerous than forward facing 5 point harness seat. Booster alone is more dangerous than BPB seat etc. Front seat is more dangerous than rear seat. So as one gets intent on graduating their kid from rear facing to front facing to boosters to front seat you are exposing your kid to more and more risk with that graduation. Recommendation is not to get out of a BPB seat until 7/70 (that is 7 years and 70 pounds). Keep them in the back seat as long as possible. I use the Britax Monarch. Buy the newest product on the market that you can. Don't buy used. Don't use beyond 5 years as fabrics, foam, plastic, and belts degrade etc. If you buy right you might use this for 4 years, and, if you buy the correct BPB seat you can remove the back and just have the booster seat without the back to help boost the child up so that the seat belt fits correctly. I had a Porsche Junior that came with my car that also used the seat belt device to tell the car computer that a car seat with a child was in the front seat. The computer has to be programmed by the dealer to recognize the belt and buckle combination. This seat is now in the back. Resources below and attached were valid at the time of access within the past few years. They haven't been re-reviewed to see if links are still active or the information has been updated. A more comprehensive set of word docs and other attachments are also included. Good luck and stick with rear seat. Also, as important, start out as early as possible with a bike helmet and set the example too. Have fun!!!!!! Best Regards, Marc Here�s the Children�s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) a website that has a lot of information about child safety with regard to seats and travel in vehicles etc. Might as well go read some of the scientific and medical resources and what their recommendations are. The longer you can keep your child in the recommended location and restraint system you have the safer they will be. http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/div...c.jsp?id=77971 Education resources: http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/div...c.jsp?id=83350 Click on library of educational materials which will take you to here: http://stokes.chop.edu/programs/inju...onal_advocacy/ Partners for child passenger safety reports: http://stokes.chop.edu/programs/inju...onal_advocacy/ Charts and images: http://stokes.chop.edu/programs/inju...rts_images.php http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/inju...eats/index.htm Belt Positioning Booster Seats Boosts child up providing a higher sitting height, which allows the adult lap and shoulder belt to fit properly Used Forward Facing Only  All children who have outgrown child safety seats should be properly restrained in booster seats until they are at least 8 years old, unless they are 4'9" tall.  Can only be used with the adult lap and shoulder belt. Never with a lap belt only.  Provides the child a higher sitting height, which allows the adult lap and shoulder belt to fit properly.  The shoulder belt should cross the chest, resting snugly on the shoulder, and the lap belt should rest low across the upper thighs. Never up high across the stomach.  Styles include high-back, no back, and base only. A high-back booster provides head support not provided by vehicle seats with low backs or no head restraints.  The mid-point of the back of the child�s head (ear level) should not be above the vehicle seat back cushion or the back of the high back booster. *A belt-positioning booster seat should be used until the child can sit with his/her back against the vehicle seat back cushion with knees bent over the seat cushion edge, and feet on the floor, approximately 4'9". etc,

Quotes source post: 6754287

Jon, I really think this is your solution right here....

Are these seats still for sale?

Quotes source post: 14583840

You don't need the whole seat (which as I understand were highly marked up cheap seats. Just install the bar and then pick one of these up: https://www.porscheshop.co.uk/porsch...eat-skoda.html Then you can use whatever seat you want.