Hello, I will be picking up a rental car in Calais, France later this month. It has been several years since I rented/drove in France and I don't remember much about the smaller budget vehicles. The car company lists: Chevrolet Spark,Peugeot 207, or Ford Focus as the possible models. Does anyone know if these have passenger side airbags? I will be traveling with my son. He is old enough to ride in front, but I am uncomfortable if there is an air bag. Thanks!
Posted by
Huntsville, AL, USA
8141 posts
Easter, 2012, we rented a Ford Fiesta in Florence, and it had airbags. European cars are now modern, but they're just not quite as nice inside as their counterparts in the U.S. But they really get great fuel mileage--pushing 50 mpg.
Posted by
Tilburg, Netherlands
2829 posts
The new 207s do have side airbags. Now sure about the others. Beware of different regulations about minimum age/height required to ride the front seat.
Posted by
OP
Olympia, WA, USA
2 posts
Thanks everyone so far, To clarify, he is 8. so beyond the legal requirements (and physical limit) for even a booster (so they told us). I wouldn't be surprised about having to be in the back seat, that is the way it is is in the US too. :( Just wanted to look out with him, but of course we want to be safe too.
Posted by
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
4044 posts
The Ford Focus you might drive in the US was designed and developed in Europe. That does not guarantee that the rental car will have exactly the same features in every country, but you can certainly look up car specifications on the manufacturers' various country pages. The Spark is certainly a much smaller car than the Focus, another factor you might consider in making your choice. That Peugot model falls somewhere in between.
The agency may be offering diesel models, since that kind of engine is much more common in Europe (meaning the fuel is widely available.)
Posted by
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
2779 posts
Even the tiniest car in Europe has got several airbags. It's the law. And of course you can switch passenger seats airbags off, e.g. if you want to place a toddler there... The three cars you mentioned are of completely different size. The Chevy Spark is tiny and hardly accommodates any luggage. The 207 might be sufficient for two people with moderate luggage. The Focus in Europe comes with a hatch back and is ok for two with regular size luggage - even for four with moderate baggage.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
32741 posts
From the AA, the British equivalent to the AAA. Passengers/Children in cars: Under French law, children up to the age of 10 must travel in an approved child seat or restraint, adapted to their age and size. Children under the age of 10 are not allowed to travel on the front seats of vehicles unless there is no rear seat in the vehicle, or the rear seat is already occupied with children under 10, or there are no seat belts. The French highway code does not specify a minimum height that a child has to be in order to not use a child seat/restraint, because of this we would advise that you apply the minimum height as set by the European Directive which is 150cm. Taxis are exempt but in other vehicles, a fine is levied if a child is not restrained. It is the driver's responsibility to ensure all passengers under 18 are appropriately restrained. Source: http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/touring_tips/france-monaco.pdf 150 cm is 4 foot 11 and a bit. Under 5 feet is probably a good gauge.