# baby in front seat of van



## picassoman

Hi,

Are you allowed to carry a baby (9 mths) in the front seat of a commercial van as long as the air bag is switched off ?

Brother asked me to find out as their second car is a van and I have noticed babies in the front seats recently.

I'm not referring to the first baby seat than sits/clips into a base but rather the next one that faces forward..

- pm


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## j26

It seems to be okay.

Citizens Information

And amazingly, children under 4 seem to be exempt from wearing a seatbelt in the back


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## extopia

Check with the insurance company. I could be wrong, but I believe commercial insurance is geared towards commercial activity, which would not necessarily involve carrying babies about. The commercial insurer would be the best advisor on whether this kind of domestic activity is or is not covered.


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## vandriver

I've been through many check points with 2 kids in my van(one in booster one in baby seat)and the guards have never had a problem


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## ubiquitous

extopia said:


> Check with the insurance company. I could be wrong, but I believe commercial insurance is geared towards commercial activity, which would not necessarily involve carrying babies about. The commercial insurer would be the best advisor on whether this kind of domestic activity is or is not covered.



It is hard to imagine any scenario where a use of commercial van would not involve at least some element of private use (eg driving between home and work). I cannot imagine that any commercial insurance could invalidate this.


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## Bubbly Scot

Going slightly off topic, when it comes to road tax you could have a problem. When I tried to tax a crew cab as commercial I was told that if the guards stopped me at 11pm nipping out to the shop I could get done for using a commercially registered vehicle for private use. Ended up taxing it (at over 3 times the cost) as a private vehicle.


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## ubiquitous

Bubbly Scot said:


> Going slightly off topic, when it comes to road tax you could have a problem. When I tried to tax a crew cab as commercial I was told that if the guards stopped me at 11pm nipping out to the shop I could get done for using a commercially registered vehicle for private use. Ended up taxing it (at over 3 times the cost) as a private vehicle.



I think you were told a porky.


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## Pique318

well if that the case, every farmer driving their Massey to the shop  is also in breach of the tax law...never seen any of them stopped !


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## Bubbly Scot

ubiquitous said:


> I think you were told a porky.


 
Well, it was the guy in the motor tax office so you could well be right. Sold it now so it's not an issue but we probably paid about €2k in tax more than we needed to during the time we had it. :-(


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## Smashbox

As long as the child is wearing a suitable restraint, ie. a seat belt they can sit in the front of the vehicle.

You mention a forward facing seat, this is perfectly fine for a front seat.


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## daithi

..there was a legal case mentioned in the Irish Times where an Insurance Co refused to pay out on an accident involving a commercial van on the basis that the van was insured as a commercial vehicle, and not for carriage of passengers..it might be an idea to run it by a solicitor...

daithi


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## sandrat

Just to mention that it is best to keep a baby in a rear facing car seat for a long as possible after 9 months even because it is much safer that a front facing seat. As long as head isn't sticking out the top they are still ok. It could mean the different between breaking legs or breaking neck in the event of a crash.


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## Kingdom

Bubbly Scot said:


> Well, it was the guy in the motor tax office so you could well be right. Sold it now so it's not an issue but we probably paid about €2k in tax more than we needed to during the time we had it. :-(


 
A Veterinary Surgeon who while accompanied by his girlfriend was driving his Golf Van (with medicines in the rere) was stopped at 11pm by the Gardai in Tralee many years (20ish) ago as he was exiting the car park of his local pub. Having passed the breathalyzer they proceeded to check his Tax Disc which was commercial. He was duly charged with driving without proper road tax and went to court pleading not guilty saying that he was on his way back from a call out and stopped for a quick drink. The Judge didn't believe his story and he was found guilty and fined.


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