Traffic Police Department talks about the proposal "passenger cars and taxis do not need to install child seats"

The Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety stipulates that from January 1, 2026, children under 10 years old and under 1.35m tall sitting in cars must be protected by child safety equipment (auxiliary seats, safety cushions, etc.).

Decree 168/2024 of the Government on administrative sanctions for violations in the field of road traffic stipulates that from January 1, 2026, drivers transporting children in cars without using appropriate safety equipment will be fined VND800,000-1 million.

A child seat installed in a car by a local resident (Photo: Tran Thanh).

However, in recent days, public opinion has been concerned about the information that the Government proposed to amend Clause 3, Article 10 of the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety.

Specifically: “When transporting children under 10 years old and under 1.35m tall in a car, children must not sit in the same row of seats as the driver, except for cars with only one row of seats; the driver must use and instruct on the use of appropriate safety equipment for children, except for cars used for passenger transport business”.

Regarding this issue, on the morning of December 2, in an interview with Dan Tri reporter, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Hong Long, Deputy Head of the Department of Propaganda, Investigation and Resolution of Traffic Accidents, Traffic Police Department ( Ministry of Public Security ), shared his views to answer people's questions about regulations and standards... related to the installation of child seats in cars.

First of all, Lieutenant Colonel Long affirmed that according to current regulations, there has been no change in the application of the above regulations to passenger transport vehicles (passenger cars, taxis, service vehicles).

A baby mattress (Photo: Babyro.eu).

"The requirement to equip children with safety devices is stipulated in Clause 3, Article 10 of the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety 2024. This regulation applies to all types of vehicles, from personal vehicles to commercial vehicles.

For example, under the same driving conditions and transporting two children from one point to another, the private driver and the commercial driver are equally responsible if an accident occurs. Therefore, applying the regulation to both private vehicles and commercial vehicles is appropriate," explained Senior Colonel Long.

Regarding people's questions about whether children under 1 month old must use child seats, because at this time they are very small and need to be held by their parents, Mr. Long said that the law clearly states that children under 10 years old and under 1.35m tall sitting in a car must be protected by safety equipment.

"Therefore, people need to strictly comply with the provisions of the law. In addition, people can choose baby cradle-type seats that meet standards, are suitable for the child's condition, the family's condition, and are suitable for use in cars," said Lieutenant Colonel Long.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Hong Long, holding a child cannot ensure safety by using specialized equipment. If an adult is negligent or an unexpected incident occurs, the child can easily slip out of their arms.

Traffic police instruct on how to install child seats in cars (Photo: Tran Thanh).

In addition, car seat belts are designed for adults and can be inserted into the neck or head of children, so using belts that are widely purchased online, do not meet standards, and are not suitable will be potentially dangerous. Instead, people should use standard child cushions and child seats.

"Currently, e-commerce platforms are selling a lot of child seats and seat belts... However, people need to be careful and choose equipment that meets standards and regulations to ensure the safety of their own children," Lieutenant Colonel Long advised.

Regarding the question: if a child is under 10 years old but taller than 1.35m, is it necessary to use a child safety device in a car? Lieutenant Colonel Long said that in this case, the child does not need to use a child seat.

Talking to Dan Tri reporter , Mr. Cao Cuong (residing in Hanoi ), the owner of a facility selling safety equipment for children, said that the child seats sold by his facility on the market cost an average of 2 million to 4 million VND, in addition, the child mattress costs about 800,000 VND. Mr. Cuong guaranteed the standard parameters set by the authorities.

According to the provisions of Section 1.3.1, Sub-section 1.3, Section 1 of QCVN 123:2024/BGTVT, it is explained: Child safety devices are devices capable of ensuring the safety of children in a sitting or lying position in a car, designed to reduce the risk of injury to the user in the event of a collision, or the car suddenly decelerates by limiting the movement of the child's body.

Child safety equipment includes:

- The CRS child seat system is a combination of parts including the seat, belt, safety lock, adjustment device and other accessories such as cradle, crash shield; capable of being securely installed in the car.

- Enhanced Child Restraint System (ECRS) includes:

+ Integrated Universal ISOFIX Child Restraint Systems-i-Size

+ Integrated "Specific vehicle ISOFIX" Child Restraint Systems.

In subsection 2.1 Section 2 of QCVN 123:2024/BGTVT, the general regulations for child safety equipment are as follows:

(1) Child safety devices must be suitable for installation in vehicles.

(2) There are no sharp edges or protrusions that could damage the clothing of car occupants or damage the car seat covers.

(3) The hard parts of the child restraint device do not expose sharp edges that would wear out the belt at the points of contact with the belt.

(4) Parts of the child safety device must not be removable or cannot be removed without the use of special tools. Any components designed to be removable for maintenance or adjustment must be secured to avoid the risk of incorrect installation and improper use.

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