How Old Must a Passenger Be to Sit in the Front Seat on the Highway?
3 Answers
Highway front seat passengers must be at least 12 years old. There are three key points to note when driving on the highway: 1. Entering the highway: Speed should be increased to at least 60 km/h as soon as possible. Vehicles entering from the ramp must accelerate in the acceleration lane and should not obstruct vehicles already in the main lane when merging. They should initially drive in the outer lane; 2. While driving: Vehicles should stay in their designated lanes. Small passenger cars should drive in the middle lane, while large buses and trucks should use the right lane; 3. No arbitrary lane changes: When changing lanes or overtaking, turn signals must be activated in advance. At night, drivers should also switch between high and low beams to confirm safety before changing lanes. Overtaking is only permitted using adjacent lanes.
Every time I take my kids out, I insist they sit in the back seat and never squeeze into the front passenger seat. At high speeds, if an accident happens, the airbag deploys like a bomb. Children, being smaller in height and weight, could have their ribs broken. I've checked the traffic regulations, and while there's no explicit rule on the age limit, safety experts recommend that children under 12 years old or shorter than 140cm must sit in the back and be secured in a child safety seat. My twins are only 10 years old, so I've installed two safety seats in the back. Once it became a habit, I felt much more at ease on the highway. Related to this is the use of seat belts—not wearing one in the front seat can result in penalty points and fines, so children need even more protection. In short, safety comes first; don't cut corners for convenience. Wait until the kids are older before considering changing seats.
Having driven on highways for nearly two decades, I've witnessed many tragedies caused by the dangerous front passenger seat. For instance, the explosive force of airbags is astonishing—children sitting there may suffer minor bruises or even fatal injuries. Generally, the requirement is that passengers must be at least 12 years old or tall enough to sit in the front, especially on highways. I strictly adhere to this rule and always remind friends traveling with children not to let them sit in the front seat. In fact, securing children in the back seat with a safety seat is much safer, as highways are windy and crowded with vehicles swaying unpredictably. During routine car maintenance, I also check the airbag system to ensure it functions properly. By the way, here are some highway driving tips: maintain a safe distance, avoid speeding to prevent sudden braking that could harm kids.
