Transporting small children in a rear-facing child seat in the front passenger seat is not the only way to transport children safely in the car. However, it does have some well-known advantages over transportation in the rear seats of the vehicle. However, the installation of reboard child seats behind an operational airbag is not permitted under Section 35a of the German Road Traffic Licensing Regulations (StVZO) for the same reasons of danger to the child. For reasons of preference for transporting children, there has recently been an increasing desire to deactivate the front passenger airbag, at least for periods when children are being transported, or to remove it completely.

As the fitting of airbags to vehicles is not a legal requirement, it is reasonable to assume that it is not, in principle, a cause for concern to remove or deactivate front passenger airbags. However, Directive 96/79/EC “Protection of occupants of motor vehicles in the event of a frontal collision” sets out clear deadlines for the procedure for deactivating front passenger airbags.

before October 1, 1998

Permanent deactivation of the front passenger airbag

Subsequent modifications to the front passenger airbag system must not result in any danger to road users. This must be achieved by ensuring that the front passenger airbag is only deactivated in a suitable specialist workshop. Deactivation may only be carried out with the consent and according to the instructions of the vehicle manufacturer or after obtaining a corresponding expert opinion in accordance with § 22 StVZO or parts certificate in accordance with § 19 (3). If the vehicle manufacturer refuses to deactivate the front passenger airbag for fundamental reasons, no such subsequent modifications may be made to these vehicles by the vehicle owner. If a vehicle owner nevertheless initiates such a modification, the operating license (§19 (2) StVZO) of the vehicle must be assumed to have expired. In the event of proper deactivation