Near mandatory time, adults race to buy car seats for children

child car seat - Photo 1.

Customers look for child car seats at a store in Ho Chi Minh City, many models are sold quickly - Photo: CONG TRUNG

According to the Law on Traffic Safety, from January 1, 2026, cars carrying children must have seats or safety cushions suitable for their age and height. Children under 10 years old and under 1.35m tall are not allowed to sit in the front seat. If they do not comply, drivers can be fined VND800,000 - VND1,000,000.

Spend millions to buy chairs for children

According to Tuoi Tre , the market for child car seats is bustling. From mother and baby stores, supermarkets to e-commerce platforms, the number of customers has increased sharply in recent weeks.

At Con Cung store on Phan Dang Luu street (Binh Thanh ward, Ho Chi Minh City), the chair display area is arranged right at the entrance for customers to conveniently view and try on.

Staff said that due to high demand, customers are often directed to the first floor to choose from a variety of designs and prices, suitable for each family's age and needs. Many people carefully bring a measuring tape to measure their child's height to choose the right size.

Mr. N. Minh (65 years old, Binh Thanh ward) said that he often takes his two children to school so he is especially concerned about safety when traveling by car.

"I heard that next year it will be mandatory to have a safety seat, so I bought one early for my child to get used to. It's both reassuring and prevents him from being caught off guard when the law comes into effect," he said, adding that he previously thought that just letting his child sit with an adult and wear a seat belt was enough.

After researching and consulting with a consultant, Mr. Minh realized that specialized seats for children are designed to suit their physical condition, helping to stabilize the body and reduce injury in the event of a collision.

"Many people are hesitant to buy it at first because they think it's expensive or cumbersome, but in fact the chair is easy to assemble and disassemble, can be adjusted according to age, and can be used for many years. I think it's worth the investment for the safety of my children and grandchildren."
Mr. Minh added.

According to Mr. Quang Lam (Thanh My Tay), who has two children of primary school age, the new regulation is necessary to change Vietnamese people's habits when using cars.

"Foreigners always have their own seats for children, but we don't pay attention to that. Now that the government has clear regulations, I think this is a good way for people to be more aware of protecting children," said Mr. Lam.

In the market, the models of seats that meet European standards ECE R44/04 or i-Size (R129) are the most popular choice of many car owners. In particular, the "all-in-one" seats for children from newborn to 12 years old are selling well, customers have to order a week in advance to wait for delivery or import.

Ms. Ngoc Bich (Van Phuc urban area) said she looked at many models on a website and chose a booster chair with a backrest for 4.5 million VND. Although the price is higher than the type without a backrest, it is safer.

According to Ms. Bich, at first she thought her car did not have a ring so she could not install it, but after being instructed by the staff, she learned that it could be installed using a belt and anchor strap behind the back of the seat, still ensuring safety for the child.

71% reduction in risk of death

According to records, the new regulations about to take effect have made the market more vibrant, especially in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi .

Many stores said that they used to sell only 10-20 chairs per month, but now sales have shown signs of increasing but not to the point of "exploding". However, there are some expensive models that customers still have to wait for the store to import.

It is noteworthy that the demand for safety seats has increased sharply not only because of the upcoming penalty regulations, but also because parents' awareness is changing. They proactively research carefully the seats that are suitable for their children's height, easy to remove and wash, and safe for long trips.

At first it felt strange and awkward in the car, but it was necessary to use a car seat like the habit of wearing a helmet when riding a motorbike on the street.

Mr. Le Kim Thanh, Vice Chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee, said that this regulation is necessary to protect future generations, especially when the number of private cars is increasing rapidly and the number of highways is increasing.

"This is not only a matter of complying with the law but also the responsibility of parents for the lives of their children," Mr. Thanh emphasized.

According to this agency, if used properly, the risk of death in infants can be reduced by 71% and in children aged 1-4 years old by 54% in accidents.

However, many customers are still concerned that most new cars have an ISOFIX system, while old cars are often not equipped.

However, Mr. Pham Quang Thang, Sales Director of Hanoi Automobile Joint Stock Company, said that all standard equipment can be installed on both new and old cars if the instructions are followed. For old cars, just fixing them with seat belts is enough to ensure safety.

Representative of the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association (VAMA), Mr. Dao Cong Quyet also said that car manufacturers can completely meet the technical requirements. However, child seats are products manufactured by outside enterprises, so the State needs to issue clear standards on safety, design and classification by age.

Associate Professor Dr. Ly Hung Anh, a member of the ASEAN NCAP Technical Council, also said that Vietnam should learn from the experiences of Malaysia and Thailand and increase propaganda so that people can voluntarily implement it.

Experts recommend that parents should let their children practice sitting in a car seat early, starting with short trips so that they can get used to it. At the same time, they can learn from the Malaysian model of sharing and reselling car seats according to each stage of the child's development, both saving money and ensuring safety.

Taxi, technology car worries

Child car seats are in high demand - Photo 2.

According to new regulations, from January 1, 2026, children under 10 years old and under 1.35m tall will not be allowed to sit in the front row - Photo: CONG TRUNG

Many drivers are still concerned about this regulation. GrabCar driver LDH wonders if he has to have a child seat but doesn’t know where to put it after the trip? What if he encounters a family with two or three children? Some taxi companies are considering equipping their vehicles with child seats but admit that the cost is high and it is difficult to implement uniformly.

According to the National Traffic Safety Committee, the regulation requires all trips with children under 10 years old and under 1.35m tall to have a safety seat. However, it should be applied to private vehicles first because of high speed, high frequency of use and more proactive parents.

School buses must have age-appropriate seat belts.

For public vehicles and commercial vehicles, there will be separate routes or regulations. The Committee has proposed to exclude this regulation for commercial vehicles, applying it only to private vehicles, and at the same time encourage companies to publicly disclose information about safety equipment for parents to choose.

Bustling short-term chair rental

On e-commerce platforms, many European-standard products priced at 2-4 million VND continuously make it to the top of best-selling products, showing a strong increase in purchasing power. Along with that, car seat rental services for children are also "blossoming" on social networking groups.

The common rental price is 150,000 - 250,000 VND/day or 550,000 - 850,000 VND/week, depending on the type of chair and rental period. Most of the renters are families traveling for a short time or want to let their children get used to it before buying.

To meet this need, many stores also offer on-site delivery and installation services, with detailed instructions on how to install the belt and adjust the seat to safety standards so that parents can use it with peace of mind.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/gan-thoi-diem-bat-buoc-nguoi-lon-dua-sam-ghe-ngoi-o-to-cho-tre-em-20251113215414074.htm