Suffocating kids

During the hot season, we hear stories about young kids suffocating in the backseat, where they were strapped in, because the parent forgot about them. Without commenting on the question of parental culpability, I'd like to make a few observations:

i) In the past, I believe it used to be more common for babies and young kids to ride in the front seat, in portable baby seats/carriers, or strapped in (in the case of toddlers). However, that's actually against the law in some states for a couple of reasons:

ii) According to oft-cited statistics, young kids riding in the front seat are at greater risk of death or injury in case of traffic accidents (e.g. head-on collisions).

I suspect that's true. Of course, that's true for adults as well. The driver, or adult in the passenger seat, is at greater risk of death or injury in case of traffic accidents. So by that logic, grown-up passengers should be required to sit in the backseat. 

iii) In addition, liberal bureaucrats, in their paternalistic wisdom, mandated that carmakers install airbags. But airbags are very dangerous to young kids. Therefore, young kids have to ride in the backseat, because this "safety feature" is unsafe for children. 

A classic example of a liberal "solution" creating a new problem.

iv) Forcing young kids to sit in the backseat invites other problems. Babies are more likely to act of if they feel separating from mom or dad. If they are in the passenger seat, they are also easier to comfort. The driver can reach out a hand and pat them on the head. 

If they are in the backseat, and the act up, that distracts the diver. The driver takes his (or her) eyes of the road to check on the kid.

iv) Finally, a parent is far less likely to inadvertently leave the child in the car if the child is in the passenger seat, whereas, if the child is in the backseat, it's much easier not to notice the child's presence or forget about it.

One partial solution to the problem is to change the law so that consumers can either buy cars without airbags or with an on/off switch for the passenger seat airbag. That way, babies/young kids could ride in front. 

Although that's still more dangerous than riding in the backseat, there's a sense in which it's better for a child to die with a parent in a traffic accident than be orphaned. It's devastating for a young child to survive the death of a father, mother–or both. Parents and younger children are emotional packages. Mercy can be merciless when it treats parents and children as separable units.