Can You Drive a Corvette with Kids?
Whether you’re a car lover with a speedy new Corvette model or you love the vintage classics of years gone by, your Corvette is probably one of your favorite ways to have fun. No matter where you like to drive — whether you drive it as your daily or you take it out for some fun cruising on the weekends — your Corvette is a fun way to enjoy both history and your driving experience. And much like any interest, you may want to share your fun drives with your family, including your kiddos.
If you have kids, you may be wondering if it’s appropriate to take them with you while you whip in the Corvette. While it depends on a number of factors, there is some merit to the common conception that Corvettes are for grown-ups, not so much for kids. Of course, every child and family is different, and the details will likely vary between states and even between kids. There are a few things you should know before you pop the car seat into the Corvette and take off.
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How Old Are Your Kids?
This is probably the most important question you should ask yourself whenever you’re about to put your kids in the car — Corvette or not. Laws vary from state to state, especially when dealing with car seat law and front-seat age restrictions. While plenty of states restrict how old a child should be in order to sit in the front seat, they can range. For example, New York requires a child to be 13 years old to sit in the front seat, whereas California lets kids as young as eight move into the front seat.
One detail that may surprise you, as well, is that many states don’t restrict front-passenger riding for children in car seats. As long as the airbag is turned off, there are states that allow kids in car seats to ride in the front. Of course, check with your local guidelines in order to comply with the law where you reside. However, if you have teens or older kids who don’t need a car seat or age restrictions on the front seat, you should be fine.
Car Seat Safety
Speaking of car seats, there are probably plenty of questions surrounding the car seat issue. If you don’t live in a state that allows car seats in the front seat, your decision has already been made for you on that front. However, if you live in a state where kids are allowed to ride in front if they’re secured in a car seat, you may be considering the possibility. While it might be completely legal to put a car seat in the front, most experts advise against it, as it can compromise safety.
Overall Safety
What about the overall safety of the Corvette? This can depend entirely on the exact model you have and how well you’ve taken care of it over the years. Especially with older cars that have been passed from owner to owner, you never know what could be going on under the hood unless you look into it yourself. So, it’s best to always look over every detail of the car and make sure you know where to get c5 corvette parts if needed. This being said, if you are taking your kids in the Corvette regularly, you may want to consider a few upgrades such as installing a new brake system, getting the airbags checked and finding safer seats and seatbelts. However, if your Corvette is a newer model, you likely don’t have too much to worry about.
No Backseats, No Tots Allowed
The vast majority of Corvettes have no back seat — with the exception of a very select few from the 1960s — which means that if you have more than one child, a young child who needs a car seat or anything else of that nature, you might do best to avoid trying any wild maneuvers. Specifically, having kids ride anywhere in the car without a traditional seat can be extremely dangerous and even get you arrested if you happen to be pulled over. Without back seats, a Corvette is just not a suitable car for more than two people at a time — especially children.
Your Driving Skills
Although this tip can work in essentially any car conversation, it is relevant to bring up here, especially considering the speed and fun nature of the Corvette experience. Whenever you are driving with a child in the car, it’s important to make sure that you are following traffic laws and going at a reasonable speed to protect the safety of everybody in the car — not to mention the people on the road around you.
Can You Drive a Corvette with Kids?
Just like any car and any state, whether or not you can drive your Corvette with your kids will depend on the specific circumstances of your situation. Of course, you want to share the fun of your ride with your family, and in order to do that, you need to put safety first.
