Under what condition is it legally permissible for a child under 4 years to be in the front seat in a child restraint system?

• A. If the front passenger air bag is turned off and the rear seating is occupied by children less than 4.
• B. If the air bag is on and the rear seats are empty.
• C. If the vehicle is parked.
• D. If the driver is under 18.

Answer: (A)

The rule focuses on reducing risk to very young children from front-seat airbags. A child under 4 should ride in a rear-facing or appropriately installed child restraint in the back seat whenever possible. The only legal exception for that young child to be in the front seat is when the front passenger air bag is turned off and the rear seat is occupied by a child under 4. With the air bag inactive, and a rear-seat child present, the front seat can be used with the child in the proper restraint.

This is why the other situations don’t fit: an active air bag in the front makes front-seat placement unsafe for a child this young; simply parking the vehicle or the driver’s age doesn’t change the safety rules or legality.