Non-motorcycle question, tweens riding shotgun in a regular cab truck | GTAMotorcycle.com

Non-motorcycle question, tweens riding shotgun in a regular cab truck

theraymondguy

theraymondguy

Well-known member
Sorry folks if this offends,

I’m in a bind, the alternator in my Car died, my daughter has an appointment with the orthodontist tomorrow afternoon, right after I finish work. I’ve recently inherited a regular cab truck, can my girls ride legally in Ontario on the bench seat? Ages 9 and 12.

thanks, I didn’t find anything useful on google.
 
the law goes by weight
typically both a 9 years old or 12 year old should be fine in the front seat
providing you have 3 seat belts

regardless of the law
you would be a good human to ensure both are safe
with functioning seat belts, if so, go for it
 
Does it have a passenger airbag?
 
Completely legal.

Don’t use a booster seat if you only have a lap belt. Otherwise proceed as normal.

I drove around with my daughter in her rear facing infant seat in the front seat of my F250.
 
No idea what's legal any more,

:I flew through the front windshield of a VW Beatle at about that age and it really wasn't that bad. Abrasion on the left side of my face and slight concussion, looked identical to a dirt bike accident I had a few months earlier, the others, well they were wearing seat belts and almost killed. Helmet for me would have been nice, does she have a motorcycle helmet? In hindsight I wish I had been wearing mine.
 
Baggsy said:
https://www.ontario.ca/document/official-mto-drivers-handbook/getting-ready-drive#section-6
Click to expand...

thanks for the input gents, i noted in the link from baggy, “thou shalt not put a child in front of an airbag that is not turned off”. Child is anything less than 13 years of age, according to the mto

my issue is the new to me ‘09 Chevy Silverado has some sort of weight measuring sensor that activates the passenger air bag, it does not have a disable switch. Being that there is some discrepancy between this setup and the law, it’s not ideal.
 
Last edited:
IMHO, although not the question, the most important element is the driver and their driving skills.

"pre-school to primary grade child" is "under eight years old" - so neither the nine-year old or the twelve-year-old are covered by the specific child regulations.

With an auto-sensor, the truck should have an indicator when the passenger air bag is disabled, shouldn't be a guessing game.


My brief research of "the law":

https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08

HTA 106 (4)
4) No person shall drive on a highway a motor vehicle in which there is a passenger who is under 16 years old unless,
(b) that passenger is required by the regulations to be secured by a child seating system or child restraint system, and is so secured. 2006, c. 25, s. 1.

https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/900613
O.REG 613: SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES
8. (1) Passengers under eight years old are classified as follows for the purposes of this section:
3. Children weighing 18 kilograms or more but less than 36 kilograms and who are less than 145 centimetres tall are classified as pre-school to primary grade children. O. Reg. 195/05, s. 1.
(7) A pre-school to primary grade child shall be secured,
(a) if there is a seating position in the motor vehicle that has a seat belt assembly consisting of a pelvic restraint and a torso restraint, in that position,
(i) on a child booster seat that is used in the manner recommended by its manufacturer and that conforms to,
(8) Despite subsections (7) and (7.1), a pre-school to primary grade child shall not be secured in a seating position if the seating position has a front air bag that has not been turned off or cannot be turned off. O. Reg. 195/05, s. 1; O. Reg. 236/09, s. 2 (9).
 
Not sure it'll really help but why not call the OPP non-emergency line or your local police detachment?

This way you get an answer straight from the source not a bunch of people making assumptions or educating guessing.
 
Bradsma said:
Not sure it'll really help but why not call the OPP non-emergency line or your local police detachment?

This way you get an answer straight from the source not a bunch of people making assumptions or educating guessing.
Click to expand...

While that is a great idea as an additional data point, it has been proven many times over that police do not all understand or enforce the laws the same way. The phone call gives you one officers opinion, not a statement of fact.
 
Perhaps it is possible to get that officer to send you an email with their view point, this would make me feel secure enough to go ahead or in the case they say it is not recommended to make alternate ride plans. Either way good luck and I hope the OP finds an appropriate answer.

GreyGhost said:
While that is a great idea as an additional data point, it has been proven many times over that police do not all understand or enforce the laws the same way. The phone call gives you one officers opinion, not a statement of fact.
Click to expand...
 
OP how did this work out?

When my daughter was in public school the father of one of her friends had a mint restored 57 Chevy convertible. One day he took the kids for a ride to a local show and shine and I reflected as they drove off, the comparatively poor safety features of the car, open top no seat belts. Should I have denied my daughter a fun day?

Sometimes we expose ourselves to danger on a limited exposure level, calculated risk etc.

To avoid the legal issues you could have sent the kids by a taxi that would have had seat belts etc in the rear etc. Seat restraints could have been transferred to the cab and you could follow the cab to retrieve them as needed. Would Toronto cabbie been a safer choice?
 
nobbie48 said:
Would Toronto cabbie been a safer choice?
Click to expand...

My initial thought is no. I trust my driving infinitely more than I trust the vast majority of cabbies.

That being said, the kids don't ride in the mini. If I need to take them, I take a modern car. Once they get big enough for normal seatbelts they can come for a ride.
 
theraymondguy said:
thanks for the input gents, i noted in the link from baggy, “thou shalt not put a child in front of an airbag that is not turned off”. Child is anything less than 13 years of age, according to the mto

my issue is the new to me ‘09 Chevy Silverado has some sort of weight measuring sensor that activates the passenger air bag, it does not have a disable switch. Being that there is some discrepancy between this setup and the law, it’s not ideal.
Click to expand...

According to the owner's manual, the sensor for the air bag is supposed to correctly handle the situation and also has an ON/OFF indicator.
 
Toronto cabbie safe? :lmao: Probably safer inside the cab then out.
 
The other thing to remember is to have the seatbelt over the hips, and not the abdomen (stomach).

I knew someone who died around a week after an accident from internal injuries.
 
Bradsma said:
Perhaps it is possible to get that officer to send you an email with their view point, this would make me feel secure enough to go ahead or in the case they say it is not recommended to make alternate ride plans. Either way good luck and I hope the OP finds an appropriate answer.
Click to expand...

An email from some random cop will hold as much weight as an email from anyone of us... and that's if you can find a cop willing to write it up for you... which you won't.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom