On July 18, the Government approved a modification of article 117 of the General Traffic Regulations that will come into force in a couple of days and that is why we remind you here. As of October 1, children measuring less than 1.35 meters should always go in the backseat of the car.
There are many doubts of parents about how children should travel properly in the car to ensure their maximum safety in the first place, and also to avoid fines for misuse of child restraint systems. Calm down, we will clarify below.
Under 1.35 meters in the back seat
According to the new regulations All minors measuring 1.35 meters or less must travel in the back seat of the vehicle in its corresponding child restraint system (SRI).
There is two exceptions to this normal:
The minor may only go in the front seat when the rear seats are occupied by other minors with their restraint chairs. In that case, the chair must be placed in the opposite direction to the march and the front passenger front airbag must be deactivated.
In the case of a two-seater vehicle.
Better to counter
It is recommended that all children under four years of age traveling in group 0, 0+ and I chairs go in the opposite direction to the march. Thanks to this recommendation, manufacturers are taking models suitable for placement in this direction.
In this way, in the event of a frontal collision, the chair retains the whole body of the child and prevents any torsion movement of the neck, contributing to minimize neck and back damage.
After analyzing 30 models of child restraint systems, a RACE study determined that car seats placed in the opposite direction to travel are safer.
And in the taxi?
One of the concerns of parents who often travel by taxi with young children is whether they should take the child restraint system to place it in the seat. Something of course nothing practical.
The answer is no, but only when driving through urban areas.
