How much should a child weigh to sit in the front
When can a child sit in the front seat? Passenger safety tips
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Many organizations recommend that a child only travel in the front seat of a vehicle from the age of 13.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend that all children under the age of 13 sit in the rear seats of vehicles. How they sit in the back seat — for example, whether they use a rear-facing seat, a forward-facing seat, or a booster seat — will depend on their age, weight, and height.
Most cars come equipped with airbags and seat belts. Car manufacturers originally designed these standard safety features to protect adults in the event of a crash. However, they may not prove as useful for protecting a child in the front seat.
In this article, we cover what people need to know about child passenger safety. This includes age-specific safety rules, the risks of sitting in the front seat, and some general tips for safe car travel with children.
Parents and caregivers can keep children safe by buckling them into a seat that is appropriate for their age, height, and weight.
Compared with seat belt use alone, car seat use lowers the risk of injury in vehicle crashes by up to 82% in children.
The following sections contain car seat recommendations for children of different age groups.
Birth to 3 years
In previous years, the AAP recommended that children ride in rear-facing car seats until they reached 2 years of age.
However, the AAP have since changed this recommendation in response to recent research findings. They now suggest that children ride in a rear-facing car seat until they exceed the seat’s weight and height limits.
Parents and caregivers should also keep rear-facing car seats in the back seat of the car to prevent airbag injuries. Airbags present a significant risk to children in rear-facing car seats because their heads are much closer to the airbag.
3 to 7 years
Those aged 3–7 years may exceed the weight and height limits of their rear-facing car seat. If this is the case, they should instead sit in a forward-facing car seat in the back seat of the vehicle.
Height and weight recommendations for car seat use vary by state. Weight limits for most seats range from 20–65 pounds (lb). Height limits also vary. Generally, children must be at least 4 feet 9 inches tall before they stop using a car seat.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that children use a forward-facing car seat until they reach at least 5 years of age, however.
8 to 12 years
When a child outgrows their forward-facing car seat, they should use a booster seat. This is to ensure that the car’s seat belt fits correctly. The lap belt must lie across the child’s upper thighs, and the shoulder belt should fit snuggly against their shoulder and chest.
According to the National Safety Council, children should ride in a booster seat until they reach all of the following:
- at least 9 years of age
- 4 feet 9 inches in height
- 80 lb in weight
State-specific child safety laws
Child passenger safety laws vary by state.
People can learn more about their state’s child passenger safety law by visiting their state’s government website. Alternatively, people can visit the Governors Highway Safety Association page on child passenger safety.
Most states permit children over a certain age or size to use an adult seat belt without a car seat or booster seat. Others require booster seats or other child restraint devices for children who have outgrown their car seats.
Children who sit in the front seat of a vehicle are at increased risk of injury from airbag deployment. An airbag deploys in under one-twentieth of a second and can cause serious injury. This is why the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggest that adults sit at least 10 inches away from the steering wheel.
Children tend to be shorter than adults. They may therefore sustain severe head injuries if they are sitting in the front seat of a vehicle when an airbag deploys. Some car manufacturers now use occupant-sensing devices that suppress airbags for infants and children.
Children over 13 years of age who have outgrown a booster seat can sit in the front passenger seat of a car. Parents and caregivers can minimize the risk of airbag-related injury by moving the passenger seat as far back as possible.
People should also try to follow the safety tips below when driving with children in the car:
- Ensure that children use appropriately sized seat belts and safety seats at all times.
- Ensure that children below 13 years of age sit in the back seat.
- Buckle any unused seatbelts to prevent children from playing with them.
- Take care to model safe passenger and driving habits.
Vehicle crashes present significant risks to children. Parents and caregivers can help keep them safe by using the appropriate car seats and seat belts. Children under the age of 13 should sit in the back seat of a car.
Parents and caregivers can teach children safe passenger and driving habits by always wearing a seat belt and exercising caution behind the wheel.
According to the CDC, motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death among children in the United States. The U.S. Department of Transportation estimate that 3,313 children younger than 13 years of age died while riding in vehicles between 2013 and 2017.
Parents and caregivers can sign up to receive safety notifications about their child’s car seat at seatcheck.org.
SHOP FOR CAR SEATS
Some of the car seats listed in this article are available to purchase in stores and online:
- rear-facing car seats
- forward-facing car seats
- booster seats
What Age Can Kids Sit In The Front Seat Of The Car In Texas?
Recent changes to published guidelines for “How old kids need to be to sit in the front seat of a car” have caused confusion and concern among parents who remain unclear about the differences between the laws and guidelines, and the impact on their children and family. In addition to this confusion, the difference in safety requirements in just the space of a generation is very significant.
Historical knowledge regarding car seats is not trustworthy, as parents and grandparents today will have experienced very different standards in their own childhood. American cars weren’t even universally required to have seat belts until 1966, let alone the specifically tiered safety seat systems we have today. All the advancement in knowledge and improvement in products that has occurred has resulted in a difficult answer to a seemingly simple question.
Contents
- 1 When Can a Child Sit in the Front Seat in Texas?
- 2 Child Safety in Motor Vehicles
- 2.1 The Laws, the Guidelines, and the Differences Between Them
- 3 Types of Seats and Safety Devices for Kids
- 4 Tips for Child Car Seats
- 5 Injuries to Children in Auto Accidents
- 6 Thompson Law Cares
- 7 Frequently Asked Questions – Child Safety and Seat Belt Use
- 8 What are the car seat laws in Texas?
- 9 Can a child sit on your lap in a car?
- 10 When can a child sit forward facing?
- 11 How tall does a kid have to be to sit in the front seat in Texas?
- 12 At what age can a child just use a seat belt?
- 13 What is the penalty for violating Texas car seat laws?
- 14 What is the right car seat for my child?
- 15 Do car seat laws vary by state?
- 16 How do I know if I am using a car seat correctly?
- 17 When can a child sit in a booster seat?
- 18 Is it against the law to allow a child to ride in the front seat of a car?
- 19 Do car seats expire?
- 20 Why do car seats expire?
- 21 How do I know if a car seat is recalled?
- 22 Can you use a car seat after an accident?
When Can a Child Sit in the Front Seat in Texas?
Texas law does not specify when a child can sit in the front seat of a car.
The law related to kids riding in the front seat only requires that child safety seats must be used according to manufacturer instructions. Further, the law requires that children under the age of 8 and under the height of 4’9” be secured in child passenger safety seat systems.
Child Safety in Motor Vehicles
The Laws, the Guidelines, and the Differences Between ThemIn the United States and in Texas specifically, the information distributed about child seating in motor vehicles has caused much confusion. In large part, this is due to the fact that guidelines have been set for these standards, as opposed to more consequential regulations or laws.
Additional guidelines added to these baselines, state-imposed legal requirements are published by organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Birth to 2 years: All infants and toddlers should be in rear-facing car seats until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by the car seat manufacturer. Most children should stay in a rear-facing seat until 2 years of age, or longer if they’re of smaller length or weight than is average. Further, in Texas you cannot place a child in a rear-facing seat in the front seat of a car with a passenger airbag.
2 to 4 years: Once the child has reached the recommended weight and height by the car seat instructions, they can move to a front-facing seat. The average child can move to a front-facing seat at over 2 years of age, and some child seats allow them to remain until they exceed as much as 65 pounds. Check what the safety seat manufacturer recommends for your child seat.
4 to 8 years: Children should be sitting in booster seats until the maximum height or weight limit is reached, as specified by the safety seat manufacturer.
Your child can move to a booster seat by 4 years of age, or once they exceed 4 feet in height.
8 years and older: Once weight and height requirements for booster seats have been passed, children can sit in the car seats designed for adults. Your child can stop using a booster seat between 8 to 12 years of age, once they exceed 4 feet 9 inches in height. In essence, booster seats should be used until your child can safely and securely wear an adult seat belt, with both the lap and shoulder belts in a comfortable position.
13 years old: Children may sit in the front seat with a seat belt if their height and weight have passed the booster seat limits.
If the endangerment to child passengers by neglecting to use or misusing child safety seats is not motivation enough, fines and jail time may add additional motivation to follow the law. Offenses under the Child Passenger Safety Seat Systems portion of Texas Occupant Restraint laws will always result in a fine, and these fines can climb to $250 dollars, plus court costs.
Noncompliance with safety requirements for children can result in child endangerment charges for the driver.
Types of Seats and Safety Devices for Kids
Proper installation of car safety seats is extremely important. Be sure to review manufacturer instructions for the seat and confirm that the method with which it straps into your vehicle is compatible. When securing the seat and the child in it, ensure that all straps are tightened to the proper tension, the seat components are latched securely and correctly, there are no dangling or improperly place pieces, and any other applicable settings are correct.
Rear Facing Seat: These seats are designed to be appropriate from the age up birth up to approximately 2 years, or whenever the child reaches 40 lbs. There are two versions of these car seats, infant-only and convertible. Keeping kids in rear-facing seats for as long as possible should be the goal, as it is the safest way to ride.
Many manufacturers are designing these types of seats with a forty-pound weight limit, easily allowing children to continue riding in these seats past their second birthday.
Front Facing Seat: These seats are designed to account for the optimal safety of a child who has outgrown the weight and height limits for a rear-facing seat. Many manufacturers offer models that can be turned around and have removable or adjustable pieces in order to accommodate growing kids.
Booster Seat: These seats are designed to provide additional support for smaller bodies in the car’s adult seats, and work with the car’s safety belts. There are varieties of booster seats available, but they are typically designed for use until about age 8 or a height of 4’9”.
Adult Seats: After children have reached the age of 8, and/or exceeded the top height and weight limits for their booster seat, they can sit in the car seats alone.
Children should remain in the backseat until at least the age of 13. Most cars are equipped with this information as a reminder on visors or other places in the vehicle, particularly in regard to the danger that front airbags pose to children, teenagers, and other smaller or younger bodies.
Seat Belts: Built-in seat belts are designed for adults, but once a child reaches a height of at least 4’9” they are tall enough for the seat belt design to be effective for their safety. Seat belts are one of the most effective safety measures in modern vehicles, and wearing one improves survival rates for front-seat passengers in auto wrecks by 50%. Belts should be worn fitted to the body, with the lap belt across the hips and shoulder belt across the front center of the chest and over the shoulder. All automobile passengers are legally required to wear seat belts Texas. The increased safety they provide for all passengers is inarguable.
Tips for Child Car Seats
Entering a roadway always involves an element of risk, and nothing clarifies this more than traveling with children in the car.
However, there are some steps you can take to mitigate this risk and to protect your loved ones. Here are a few recommendations for things to do before, during, and after the use of a car seat:
Be sure to replace child safety seats that have been in a crash, as the structural integrity of the seat and its components may have been compromised.
Check for product recalls with car seats, particularly when taking a car seat out of storage after a duration of time, or buying a used model, even from someone you trust. Manufacturers of car seats frequently provide expiration dates for their seats, often ranging from 6 to 8 years from the date of fabrication.
Makes sure car seats are strapped securely in with the appropriate belt OR latch method. Check that all components are uncompromised, in good working order, and are in the correct placement prior to starting or moving your vehicle.
Many manufacturers produce videos that can be accessed on their websites or YouTube with step by step tutorials for proper installation.
In very hot climates like Texas, check that the car seat components have not been compromised or damaged by the heat. Also, before securing your baby in the seat, check the temperature of the car seat pieces, including straps and buckles, to avoid burns.
Always wear your own seatbelt. Model this safe behavior for the kids in your car to see, every time you drive.
Injuries to Children in Auto Accidents
Children can be particularly susceptible to impact injuries, as their skeletal system is not done growing. Infants are born with about 300 separate bones, and the process of development and fusion resulting in the approximate 206 bones of a human adult takes place until growth stops, around age 25. Tragically, beyond the potential for serious injuries being sustained, over 85 children under the age of 12 have died in car accidents, every year for the past 5 years, with the most fatalities totaling 106 in 2014. A considerable portion of these outcomes could have been different with appropriate safety seat and restraint use.
If your child has been hurt in a motor vehicle accident, do not hesitate to take every measure necessary to ensure their full recovery physically and emotionally. Any necessary surgeries, treatments, medications, and therapies advised by your healthcare professionals should be carefully followed. You can focus on what is important while your team helps with everything else.
Thompson Law Cares
At Thompson Law, we understand the value of family. Nothing is more important and prescient than keeping your loved ones as safe as possible in vulnerable situations, such as on the roadway. When accidents happen, and especially when they result in injury to your children, you deserve help handling the aftermath.
Attorney Ryan Thompson and his experienced team of legal experts have handled a wide variety of cases involving children injured in motor vehicle and other accidents. The robust litigation experience and compassionate handling of your claim sets this group of attorneys apart.
The Thompson Law approach results in life-changing settlements for our clients.
If you or your family have been injured in an accident, the time to contact Thompson Law is now. Allow yourself and your loved ones your full attention in the process of healing and recovery, as Thompson Law takes on the at-fault parties and big insurance companies, fighting for the justice and compensation you deserve.
Contact the injury lawyers at Thompson Law by calling 844-308-8180, anytime 24/7 for a free consultation and review of your case.
Frequently Asked Questions – Child Safety and Seat Belt Use
What are the car seat laws in Texas?
Texas has no law which specifies how old a child has to be to sit in the front seat of a car. The law related to children sitting in the front seat of a car in Texas specifies that a child be secured during the operation of a vehicle in a child passenger safety seat system according to the manufacturer’s instructions, unless the child is over four feet, 9 inches tall or 8 years of age or older (TRANSP § 545.
412).
Most car seat manufacturers recommend keeping children 12 and under in the back seat, and not allow them to ride in the front seat at younger ages. Further, rear-facing child car seats may not be used in the front seat of a car if the car is equipped with airbags.
Can a child sit on your lap in a car?
Texas law prohibits a child sitting in your lap while a motor vehicle is in operation. In Texas, the law states every passenger must use a seat belt in a moving vehicle. The penalty for adults violating this law is fines and court costs of up to $200. Children under 8 years and less than 4’9″ must be in a child safety or booster seat, or the driver faces fines of up to $250. Children are never allowed to sit on your lap in a moving vehicle.
When can a child sit forward facing?
Children can ride in a forward facing car seat once they are 1 year old AND weigh at least 20 pounds. However, you should keep your child in a forward facing seat as long as the manufacturer says it is safe to do so, as sitting rear facing is safer for children in the even of a motor vehicle accident.
How tall does a kid have to be to sit in the front seat in Texas?
A child must be over 4’9″ to sit in the front seat of a car in Texas. Once a child is over 4’9″, kids can sit in the front seat of a car in Texas using a lap or shoulder seat belt. However, children less than 13 years should never ride in the front seat of any vehicle with active airbags on the passenger side.
At what age can a child just use a seat belt?
In Texas, kids can use a seat belt only once they are 8 years of age or older. The National Safety Council recommends that a child also be over 4’9″ tall, weigh more than 80 pounds, and be over 12 years before riding in the front seat, although Texas law does not require it.
What is the penalty for violating Texas car seat laws?
If a parent or guardian allows a child who is too young and/or too short to ride in the front seat of a car in Texas, it is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine between $25 to $200 according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
However, if the person is operating the vehicle in an emergency or for law enforcement purposes, that can be used as a defense to prosecution for a child riding in the front seat.
What is the right car seat for my child?
The four stages of car seat use are rear-facing car seats, forward-facing car seats, booster seats, and seatbelts. These four recommended stages of child passenger safety can be broken down as follows:
- Rear-facing car seats: Infants should remain rear-facing for as long as possible and never be forward facing before turning 1 years old and weighing 20 to 22 pounds. Rear-facing car seats should not be used in the front seat of a car with airbags.
- Forward-facing car seats: Toddlers should sit forward-facing in a five-point harness until exceeding the manufacturer’s max weight recommendation, which is typically 40-65 pounds.
- Booster seats: Booster seats can be used for most children from about age 4 up to 4’9″ tall, depending on their weight.
- Adult safety belts: Children 8 or older or 4’9″ (i.e., 57 inches) or taller may use adult safety belts without any car seat.
Do car seat laws vary by state?
Yes, laws related to car seat usage vary by state in the US. Every state and territory in the United States requires child safety seats for infants and children fitting specific criteria. However, the requirements for each state vary based on age, weight and height.
For example, in California a car seat is required to be rear-facing for children under 2 years old, unless the child weighs 40 or more pounds or is 40 or more inches tall. Similar to Texas, California requires car or booster seats for children under 8 years and less than 57 inches tall, and also requires the car seat be in the back seat of the car.
If you are going on a road trip and need to know the car seat laws for other states, or do not know the car seat law in your state, you can see here for child passenger seat belt laws by state.
How do I know if I am using a car seat correctly?
In addition to carefully reviewing the manufacturer’s guidelines, you can contact a certified child safety seat technician. A child passenger safety (CPS) technician can check to ensure you installed your car seats correctly, and teach you how properly install and use a car seat on your own. They can also discuss with you when it is safe for a child to ride in the front seat of a car.
When can a child sit in a booster seat?
Ages four to eight: Booster seats should be used between 4 and 8 years of age for children over 40 pounds and less than 4 feet 9 inches tall. Booster seats were designed to be used when a child reached 40 pounds, typically around age 4 to 5. Kids who are heavier or taller than the limits for a forward facing car seat should switch to a belt-positioning booster seat.
If your child exceeds 40 pounds before the age of 4, they would be better protected using a five-point harness in a child seat with a higher maximum weight.
Please be sure to consider the child’s age, weight, height, and behavioral maturity before moving them to a booster seat, as well.
Is it against the law to allow a child to ride in the front seat of a car?
Texas law allows children to ride in the front seat of a car, unless the car seat is rear-facing and the vehicle has a passenger airbag. The law does not specify where children can ride in vehicles; rather, it only states that child seats be used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. If you follow these guidelines, Texas occupant restraint laws state it is legal to allow a child to ride in the front seat of a car in Texas.
Do car seats expire?
Yes, car seats expire 6 to 10 years from the date of manufacture. The manufacture date is required to be placed on all car seats. It can typically be found on a sticker that provides the serial number, manufacture date, and expiration date, or molded into the shell on the back of the seat. If you are unable to locate the manufacture or expiration date on a car seat, you should assume it expires at 6 years.
Car seat manufacturers in the US are not required to provide an expiration date, although most do so today.
Why do car seats expire?
Car seats expire for a variety of reasons, such as the plastic becoming brittle, changing regulations and recalls, wear and tear, and the outer limits testing the expected useful life of a car seat. While most states do not have laws prohibiting the use of an expired car seat and their is no regulation prohibiting it, the NHTSA highly recommends replacing expired car seats if parents can afford to do so.
How do I know if a car seat is recalled?
There are several ways you can tell if your child’s car seat is being recalled:
- Contact the manufacturer of the car seat on the internet or via phone
- Check the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website for car seat recalls
- Contact a child passenger safety (CPS) technician.
Can you use a car seat after an accident?
The NHTSA recommends that car seats be replaced after a moderate or severe crash.
This is intended to ensure a continued high level of crash protection for children in a potential future car accident. Car seats do not need to be replaced following minor crashes.
The NHTSA defines a minor crash as a collision in which all of these apply:
- The vehicle was able to be driven away from the accident site
- No damage was done to the door nearest the car seat
- No occupants in the car sustained injuries
- No airbags deployed
- No visible damage to the car seat
If you or your child have been injured in an accident, call Thompson Law today for a FREE CONSULTATION. We charge NO FEE unless we are able to obtain a settlement behalf of you or your child.
When can children sit in the front seat of a car: age limit
When can a child sit in the front seat?
Although the Federal Highway Traffic Safety Act has long since been amended to regulate the rules for transporting children in automobiles, many still do not know when children can be put in the front passenger seat of a car.
If you want a quick and easy answer, let's just say that you can transport a child in the front seat without restraints or in a child seat from the age of 12. Naturally, the child must be fastened with a seat belt.
This norm is regulated by the Rules of the road (clause 22.9 of the traffic rules of the Russian Federation):
Clause 22.9. Transportation of children under 7 years of age in a passenger car and a truck cab, which are designed with seat belts or seat belts and an ISOFIX child restraint system <*>, must be carried using child restraint systems (devices) that comply with weight and height of the child.
Transportation of children aged from 7 to 11 years old (inclusive !!!) in a passenger car and a truck cab, the design of which provides for seat belts or seat belts and an ISOFIX child restraint system, must be carried out using child restraint systems ( devices) corresponding to the weight and height of the child, or using seat belts , and in the front seat of a car - only using child restraint systems (devices) appropriate for the weight and height of the child .
The installation of child restraint systems (devices) in a car and a truck cab and placement of children in them must be carried out in accordance with the instruction manual for these systems (devices).
Here's a simple chart to help you determine if you can transport a child without a front seat, and to help you understand when you must use child restraints or other child restraints in your car. devices, and in which cases this can be done at will, but not necessarily by law, regardless of which seat the child is sitting in (front or rear):
See also
7 errors when transporting children in a car
Front seat (passenger car)
- If a child is from 0 to 7 years old, in the front seat you can only transport the child in a child seat or other restraint.
- If the child is between the ages of 7 and 11 (inclusive), the front seat can also only be carried in a child seat.
- If your child is 12 years of age or older , starting on their 12th birthday, you may carry your child in the front passenger seat without using a child restraint.
Rear seat (passenger car)
- If the child is between 0 and 7 years old, you can only transport the child in the rear seat in a child seat or other restraint.
- If the child is between 7 and 11 (inclusive), it can be transported in the back seat of a car with or without a child restraint. When transporting children from 7 to 11 years of age without child seats, they must be fastened with seat belts.
- Please note that if the design of the car or the features of the seat device do not provide for seat belts, , according to the current legislation, a child from 7 to 11 years old can be transported not only without a car seat, but also unfastened. But, as you understand, it is very DANGEROUS!
Height and age of the child: both factors affect his safety
But we would not advise you to rush to put your child in the front passenger seat.
The reason it's so important to keep our kids in the back seat for as long as possible is because the impact of most car accidents is on the front of the car. Anyone, including adults, is safer in the back seat because they are farther away from impact. Yes, according to statistics, most accidents are associated with a blow to the front of the car.
In addition, the front airbags are designed to protect an adult over 150 cm tall and weighing at least 60-65 kg. If the child is too low, the airbag may hit him in the face or neck; and even if a child is properly buckled in a seatbelt (with an extra seat if necessary), they are more likely than an adult to be injured by an airbag, says car design engineer David Sadakyan. Here's what he told our publication:0005
The danger of transporting even a tall child in the front seat of a car is connected with this. The airbag in an accident deploys very quickly - within 1/20 of a second. At this high speed, the airbag can deploy at a speed of 320 kilometers per hour.
This, of course, will lead to the fact that the child will be injured. Moreover, the smaller and lighter the child sitting in the front seat, the more difficult the consequences will be.
Children who sit in the front seat before they get bigger are at risk of head injury due to airbag impact when deployed during an accident. Also, the front passenger airbag in some cases can be dangerous even for those children who are in a child seat. This is why it is so important when transporting a child in a child seat in the front seat that the airbag is deactivated.
Children's skeletal systems are also still developing, which means that even if your 12 year old is almost as tall as you, his body cannot withstand collisions as effectively as your body. In particular, the bones in a child's hips may not yet be fully developed, which can cause the lap belt to move up onto the abdomen instead of remaining low on the hips, resulting in serious injury in a car collision.
See also
Do child car seats have an expiration date?
How to transport a child safely in the front seat?
According to David Sadakyan, when it's time for your teenager to enjoy the freedom of being in the front seat of a car, there are a number of steps you can take to make sure your ride is as safe as possible.
- Move the front seat as far back as possible from that seat , where the airbag will deploy in the event of an accident. Most crashes tend to involve the front of the car, making the safety of a child in the front seat less secure than in the back seats. To somehow minimize the risk of serious injury, move the front seat as far back as possible. But better try to transport children of any age in the back seats.
- Always ask your child to fasten their seat belt.
- Check that your child's seat belt is fastened correctly .
If the child cannot buckle himself, do it for him. Also try to keep it as far away from the dashboard as possible. Attention! The seat belt should go across the top of the chest, not across the child's neck. The waist belt should rest on your knees, not on your stomach.
Transporting children in a car in 2022: how old can you be to drive without a child seat
A car is a source of increased danger, in which it is not safe for children to be without additional protection. To reduce the risk of injury, small passengers are seated in a special child restraint. Transportation of children in a car in 2020 without a cradle, car seat, booster is prohibited. Innovations in the law are designed to protect children from unforeseen situations on the road.
Keep your child safe, not only when traveling by car. Always know where your child is at the moment, where he was during the day, and what is happening around him with the Find My Kids app. In addition, the service informs about the method of movement of the child (on foot, by car, etc.
) and reports speed violations.
Content:
- New requirements for parents transporting children
- How to transport babies, preschoolers and schoolchildren correctly?
- How to transport newborns?
- About transportation of children under 7 years old
- How to transport children aged 7-12?
- How to carry children over 12 years old?
- Questions that raise doubts
- Tips for choosing a restraint
- What awaits drivers for violating the new requirements?
New requirements for parents who transport children ), introduced on July 12, 2017. They affected paragraph 22 of the SDA and established new requirements for the transportation of minors. The safety of small passengers in the cabin of a car and the cabin of a truck is assigned to:
- regular seat belts;
- ISOFIX child restraint system;
- seats, selected according to the weight, height, age of the baby.
After the new version of the law came into force, drivers have the right to transport preschoolers and children of primary school age, placing them in a car seat. If they are riding in the back, they can wear a seat belt or sit in a seat with an ISOFIX restraint system. They can also sit next to the driver if a seat is installed there. The holding device must be selected primarily not by age, but by the weight and height of a small passenger.
Despite the fact that after 7 years it is enough to drive behind with fastened seat belts, traffic police officers do not recommend abandoning the car seat. Its absence poses a potential threat to the child. For safety reasons, parents should use child car seats that reduce the risk of injury. If the baby has a physical disability or has grown out of car seats, seat belts are used instead, but such cases are the exception rather than the rule.
Amendments of 2017 prohibit leaving the vehicle if there is a child who is not yet 7 years old in it.
The baby cannot be in the cabin, even if you went out for 5 minutes. He should be in the car only in the presence of adults.
The innovations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs excluded the possibility of using any aids that were previously used to adapt the regular seat belt to the height of the child. For example, FEST restraints have become banned. Children over 12 are treated as adult passengers, so their transportation is no different from that of adults.
Carrying babies in your arms is dangerous! In hard braking and low-speed collisions, they are difficult to hold. Groups of 8 or more children may be transported in a bus driven by licensed drivers. Violation of the new requirements entails administrative liability under the laws of the Russian Federation.
How to transport infants, preschoolers and schoolchildren correctly?
As amended in 2017, drivers must use:
Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com
Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.
com
How to transport newborns?
Babies up to 1 year of age are allowed to be transported in a baby carrier. It can be bought separately or in a set with a baby stroller. These are special devices designed for newborns. They are equipped with additional straps and can support children weighing up to 10 kg (approximately 6-7 months of age).
Infants are transported in the supine position, secured with the internal 5-point harness of the infant carrier. When they are transported in the back seat, the infant carrier is placed perpendicular to the direction of travel. Consider its placement when transporting several passengers, because in a perpendicular position it takes up almost 2 seats. Also, babies can be in the front seat, but in this case they should be with their backs to the direction of travel.
Infant carriers are designed for the fragile body of newborns. Children have poorly developed muscles and bones, so any sudden movements of the car are dangerous for their health and life.
After birth, the main posture of the child is horizontal. Leia on the back, it will not damage the skeleton, in particular the cervical region. If you hold it on your hands, then sudden braking leads to a high load in the region of the cervical vertebrae. In the first months of life, the neck muscles are weak, and the head weighs almost 1/3 of the body weight, which makes it difficult for babies to hold it. At the moment of braking, the body moves forward, and due to muscle weakness, a sharp nod occurs - a head movement that can lead to irreparable consequences.
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The lying position evenly distributes the load on the spine, so that the children's neck muscles are relaxed and not tense, and nothing interferes with the work of their respiratory organs. Riding in a horizontal position is safer for toddlers. Lying in the cradle, the child will more easily endure sudden braking, from which no one is safe while driving on the road.
Amended traffic rules allow the use of restraints without specifying what they should be: car cradles or chairs.
They must be installed strictly following the manufacturer's instructions. Devices must comply with ECE 44 or ECE 129 by law- standards that have replaced GOST R 41.44-2005. It is impossible to replace the infant carrier with the seat unit of a conventional stroller. To make your child more comfortable, choose restraints that are equipped with orthopedic inserts.
The only disadvantage of the infant car seat is its short service life. As your child gets older, you will need to switch from a car seat to a car seat. When choosing a new model, be guided not by age, but by the physical data of children. The child seat is selected according to weight and height - these are the main criteria. From birth to the age of 12, children will be transferred from a group I chair to a group II device, and then to a III device. One-year-old children are suitable for removable chairs with an adjustable backrest tilt of 30-45 degrees.
If you are stopped by a traffic inspector and you are traveling with children, they will check for a child restraint.
The law does not provide what documents he can use to determine the age of children. Drivers can present any documents that confirm the date of birth of babies.
About transportation of children under 7 years old
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Salons of passenger cars and truck cabs will be equipped with a special seat for preschoolers. It is presented in the form of a removable chair, reminiscent of an ordinary car seat in miniature. In it, the child can be in a sitting position, and being fastened. It is referred to as a child restraint in the amended regulations for transporting children in a vehicle. The generalized definition confuses parents. If before that "other means for fastening a child" were allowed, now they are not allowed. We are talking about any adapters that replaced the seats.
Machines are manufactured with the Isofix system, developed over 10 years ago, according to the new standards. This is a type of fastening made in the form of two steel brackets welded to the body and hidden from view between the seat cushions.
Sometimes manufacturers leave them outside, but in any case, the brackets of the system are at the same distance from each other, regardless of the brand of car. If you don't know if your car has Isofix or not, check your owner's manual. In the absence of a restraint system in the car, the child seat is secured with a 3-point seat belt.
How to transport children aged 7-12?
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Primary school children should be transported in the rear seats, but can also be carried in the front passenger seat. If the child is sitting next to the driver, you will need a car seat and a deactivated airbag. When it opens during a collision with another vehicle, the child may be injured.
The traffic police inspector will fine drivers if there are no appropriate child car seats in the car. Choose them according to the weight and height of the child, otherwise wait for a fine. As crash tests confirm, experimenting with chairs that are not chosen according to size not only reduces the protection of children, but also exacerbates the situation.
In order not to buy a new chair for the height of the child, parents take the model “for growth”, try to justify the money spent and adjust the chair to the height. If you transport children in a car without a suitable child seat, or in a car seat that is not appropriate for their age/height, you are putting their lives at unnecessary risk.
How to transport children over 12 years old?
Starting from middle school age, you can limit yourself to fastening with a regular seat belt. Anyone over 1.5m tall can opt out of a car seat. Small children are required to ride in restraints after 12 years of age. The rules of the road allow the carriage of a child both in the rear and in the front.
Issues that raise doubts
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Rule changes have become a source of controversy for many. Read the answers to dispel your doubts on this matter.
At what age can children sit in the front seat?
Regulations for transporting children do not set age limits.
Children can be with the driver from birth, but everyone under the age of 12 is required to sit on it in a car seat. If there is no need to transfer children to the front, transport them in the back seat. Children are seated in front if there are no seat belts in the back seat. On the front passenger car seat for babies should be back against the direction of travel. Do not drive out on the road without deactivating the frontal airbag.
When should I buy a car seat?
Child car seats are used up to and including 11 years of age. The first device must be purchased immediately after the birth of the crumbs.
Where should a minor sit if there are no seat belts in the back?
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If there is nothing for children to buckle up in the back of the car, they can sit in the front. If you plan to use such a car all the time, install seat belts. Installation of belts in the car, in the design of which they are not provided, is carried out in coordination with the relevant authorities of the city.
What are the safest places in a car?
Place your child behind the driver as this is the safest place to be. To protect the kids, transfer them to the front seat in extreme cases.
How to transport children in a taxi?
Taxi cars are subject to the same requirements as any private car. When calling a car at the address, tell the taxi dispatcher that you will be traveling with a child and find out if they have car seats. In order not to rely on the availability of child car seats in taxis, take your own on the road and use it.
Track your child's movements in real time (or view daily movement history), check the safety of routes and hear what's happening around you with the #1 Where's My Kids app for caring parents.
Restraint Tips
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Child Car Seat is a seat used in the transport of minors. They are used from the birth of the baby until he grows to 150 cm or weighs 36 kg. It protects children during extreme driving and forced stops.
The risk of being killed in an accident is reduced by 75% if the car seat is chosen correctly and installed according to the instructions.
As children grow older, they will need car seats from different weight groups. Manufacturers began to produce transformer models that can be adjusted to the growing body of the child. Car seats must comply with the standards of the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union of the EAEU. Their body is made of impact-resistant materials, and the cover is made of hypoallergenic fabric. They differ from each other by:
- age;
- fastening method;
- material of manufacture.
The age division makes it easy for parents to choose a new car seat. The table shows the groups of car seats according to the age of the child:
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From birth to six months
Newborns and children who weigh little are suitable for a cradle that looks like a stroller basket.
The baby is inside the cradle, fastened with its internal straps, and the cradle itself is fastened with a car belt.
Before the first year of life
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Car seats from this group are also called carriers. Their body is made in the shape of a bowl, which is complemented by a 5-point harness. A handle is provided for transportation. They are placed facing backwards to take the strain off poorly developed musculoskeletal tissue and also to protect infants from the "nodding" of the head during a sudden stop, which leads to death.
1 to 4 years
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Group 1 car seat can be placed facing or against traffic. It should have a 5-point safety harness and an adjustable backrest that puts it in a reclining position. The device is intended for one-year-old babies who can already sit. It can be used until the child's weight reaches 15-18 kg, then you should transfer to a group 2 car seat.
3 to 7-12 years old
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Group 2 car seats designed to transport a child 3-7 years old are less common than transformers. Products of groups 2 and 3 are combined into common models, in which there are no longer 5-point belts, but guides for a standard belt are provided. Children at this age can already be fastened only with a regular car belt, passing it along the guides.
Car seats 3 groups
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Devices designed for passengers over 1.3-1.35 m tall are called boosters. They are made without side protection, and are only a solid seat, equipped with armrests and guides for a regular car belt. Boosters are not as safe as conventional car seats with a back.
What awaits drivers for violating the new requirements?
If you violate the rules for transporting minors, you can be fined:
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