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      03-26-2014, 08:31 AM   #1
Aries326
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Can I put a kid's seat on the passenger side and have my son ride along? He's 4 years old and weighs more than 40 pounds. I've taken him for rides just down the street and around the cul-de-sac. I'd like to take him around in the Z.
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      03-26-2014, 08:49 AM   #2
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What is the law in YOUR state? Do a google search for this information. It is on your states DMV's web page.
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      03-26-2014, 10:44 AM   #3
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Whatever you do, make sure to disable the passenger side airbag with the key switch adjacent to the passenger door hinge. Your car also has LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) anchors on the passenger side to install an appropriate child car seat.

here is some good information:

http://www.edmunds.com/car-safety/wh...tch-rules.html

"LATCH System Lower Anchor

Effective February 2014, parents should not use the lower anchors of LATCH, such as the one shown here, if the combined weight of the child and the car seat is 65 pounds or more, says NHTSA. | March 13, 2013 | NHTSA"

There is some good Canadian information on this site at the link below. Maybe there is a similar organization in your town with info pertaining to your local regulations:

http://www.kidsinsafeseats.ca/

But as noted above, check local laws to be sure that you are using the appropriate child restraint system that is required in your jurisdiction for your child's age and weight.

Cheers!!
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      03-26-2014, 03:03 PM   #4
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In most states a child may ride in the front seat if no rear seat is available. The child seat laws at least in Pa are very vague.

I drive with one of my grand kids in the front seat all the the time. The youngest is 4. He loves looking at the sky and is amazed that there is no roof.

I do keep a copy of the Pa State law in my glove box, just in case i get pulled over by a cop that dooes not know the state law or if know-it-all person questions me about it.
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      03-27-2014, 02:31 PM   #5
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I give my daughter (age 5) and Son (age 9) rides all the time. My daughter uses a booster seat and the normal seat belt. I always have the passenger airbag disabled. They really enjoy it and I feel they are very safe with that arrangement.
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      03-28-2014, 11:59 AM   #6
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+1 on disabling the airbag and using LATCH!!
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      03-29-2014, 10:29 AM   #7
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Thanks for the tips, guys! This is what I was able to gather from the NC DMV website:

Position in Vehicle:
Children who are less than age 5 and less than 40 pounds must be restrained in the back seat if the vehicle has a passenger side front airbag and has a rear seat.

Exemptions:
The following exemptions to the law exist:

Vehicles not required to have seat belts (such as cars made before 1968 and pickup trucks, SUVs, and vans made before 1972, and large buses)
Ambulances and other emergency vehicles
If all seats with seat belts are occupied, any remaining children can legally ride unrestrained.



Maybe I can get a recaro kid seat and put it in the front. :-) I'll have to check if our seats have latches.
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      04-04-2014, 08:41 PM   #8
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I've been debating this with my wife. The law in most sates says that kids can legally ride in the front if there is no back seat. But kids are statistically more likely to get injured if in the front seat when in an accident (I guess the same is true for adults). I'd say you just be mindful of this and be comfortable with the risks. I imagine it's pretty moot at sub 30mph speeds, where an airbag wouldn't even deploy.
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      04-04-2014, 09:01 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by funkle View Post
I imagine it's pretty moot at sub 30mph speeds, where an airbag wouldn't even deploy.
There is no low end set point (speed) for not deploying an air bag on the Z4. The Advanced Safety Electronics (ASE) system decides what to do based on a number of factors and assigns a Crash Severity (CS) number plus other factors in determining what to do.

Airbag Triggering
Numerous crash and road tests under extreme conditions have been used to set the BMW triggering thresholds for all possible types of accidents.
The triggering thresholds are primarily divided into 4 groups according to crash severity:

CS 0: no crash (parking damage) CS=Crash Severity
CS 1: light crash
CS 2: crash of medium severity
CS 3: severe crash

The triggering thresholds have been set depending on the crash severity and including other factors such as direction, overlap on collision, and depending on the evaluation as to whether the occupant was wearing a seatbelt or not.

This results in the various trigger thresholds for the activation of the various restraint systems.

There is more info on this subject. Just do not get locked into believing the 30mph number.
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      04-16-2014, 01:11 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Aries326 View Post
... I'll have to check if our seats have latches.
My 2006 has them so yours should definitely have them.
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      04-18-2014, 06:59 AM   #11
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So the seats did have latches and the kids have been enjoying the rides. My only regret is not removing the seats immediately. I've marked up my leather seats. :-(

Hopefully, this isn't permanent. Next time I take them out for a ride, I'll have to put something down to protect the seats and remove the seats immediately after the ride. What a pain.
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      04-18-2014, 11:25 AM   #12
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Yeah. Put a towel or something like that where the child seat comes in contact with the leather. The towel does make the child seat slip a little so you really need to cinch up the straps going to the LATCH connectors.
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