Can a Child Ride in a Jeep With the Doors Off?

Jeeps are a symbol of American pride and freedom. They are often a favorite vehicle for families and households to collect. However, there need to be precautions made, especially for children.

It is highly discouraged to allow children to ride in a doorless Jeep. Children are prone to unbuckling or making rash choices, which can lead to the child getting thrown from the vehicle or getting injured. It can also lead to accidents if a driver is trying to maintain child safety while driving.

With this basic guideline in mind, it’s important to also learn about basic child and vehicle safety, why doorless Jeeps are appealing, and different tips and tricks on how to make a doorless Jeep safer for anyone on board.

Child Vehicle Safety Laws

The most important thing to know when making the decision of driving with or without doors while having children on board is basic child safety laws. Basic child safety laws center around seat choice and the ages and weights to use each kind. There are four different stages of seat choice: rear-facing, forward-facing, booster seat, and seat belt.

Rear-facing seats are seats that face backward and have a five-point harness system. They are primarily used when a baby is born until they are two or four years old. They are supposed to be used until a baby is either too tall or too heavy to be in the seat. This can change depending on the brand of the seat. An important thing to note is that a rear-facing car seat should never be put in the front seat due to additional dangers with the airbag.

Forward-facing seats are seats that face forward and have a five-point harness. These are to be used from the time a child outgrows the rear-facing car seat until they are at least five years old. This seat also is to be used until they are too tall or too heavy for the seat. This seat should also be kept in the back for basic safety purposes.

The Booster seat is the next stage. This seat is supposed to be used until a seat belt fits comfortably, with the lap belt on the upper thigh and the shoulder belt strapped comfortably. It is estimated that children tend to outgrow a booster around 9-12 years old.

After that, it is recommended that all people wear seat belts unless there is a medical condition. By following these basic principles and being up to date on the laws in respective states, a parent or household member is enabled to make the best decisions for their children in any kind of car.

Why Doorless Jeeps are Appealing

There are two major reasons people choose to have the doors of a Jeep. One is that it is a unique driving experience. It is indescribable to be able to ride with the wind blowing in every opening and to hear the sound of the tires crunching the gravel of the road.

This is especially true for people who like to go off-roading. Another reason people like having the doors off is simply because it is possible to remove them! Most cars do not allow doors to be taken off, so people love having the opportunity and will give it a try to satisfy their desire.

Tips and Tricks to Doorless Jeep Safety

There are a few different ways that people can enjoy doorless Jeeps while being safer. Here are a few tips and tricks that will change the game for a Jeep Driver.

Keep the Doors in Storage/Garage

One common thing that many Jeep owners do is take the Jeep that has doors already on them and take the doors off manually. There are a few different benefits to this. The first benefit is the fact that the person develops a new skill.

Almost everyone feels empowered when they are able to accomplish something they couldn’t previously. It would be rewarding to learn how to do that. Then, there is the added flexibility of being able to make a car have doors when the weather or trip calls for it.

It also makes it so an owner can put doors on when children are riding in the car. The owner can even make it so the front (where the adults sit) is doorless, but the area with the children has doors. This is a great way to compromise that promotes safety and adventure.

Get Tube Doors

Many owners who enjoy doorless Jeep riding, but worry about the safety of their kids, enjoy tube doors. For those who aren’t familiar, tube doors are doors that have a tube structure with open spaces.

They pretty much are only useful for keeping people inside the vehicle and making it harder for people to get hurt. Whether or not it is actually protective is arguable. But it can give some peace of mind, especially if a child has a habit of unbuckling or reaching out of the vehicle.

Have Another Adult in the Back

This may seem like a simple answer, but it is highly recommended if a household removes doors from their car. Children can be fast learners and may learn how to unbuckle at a young age. If a child unbuckles, and a parent doesn’t notice, it can lead to a child falling out of the vehicle.

The damage caused by falling out of a vehicle onto the road is immense and can be devastating for the entire family. If a parent is in the backseat, they can keep a closer eye on the children and buckle them if necessary. It is never a bad idea to have more than one adult in the car to keep an eye on children.

Drive Doorless Only When it is Safe to Do So

This is probably one of the most important tricks to driving doorless. It is not recommended that people drive doorless on highways, places with high speeds or high volumes of traffic, or places that are known to be accident-prone.

However, there are some places that are less dangerous to drive with or without doors. Some of these include the countryside, rural or suburban areas, small distances, or around neighborhoods. If a household chooses to drive in a less dangerous environment, they can reduce the danger to children and other passengers.

It is easy to see and understand why Jeeps are appealing. Now, it is even easier to see how a household or a driver can keep children safe while still enjoying the adventures of driving doorless.