Car seat laws from around the world
Travelling abroad requires a lot of planning and if you're renting a car or taking taxi's, you will need to know when and where requires a car seat.
We have done some extension research for you and covering the basics, however it is best that you do detailed research before travelling. We will update this blog regularly if we can, otherwise bi-yearly. If you have noticed anything different then what we had found, please do share so we can be sure everyone gets the right information!
Thanks for keeping this a helpful blog to all travelling parents!
Above photo is the Doona Car Seat Stroller, learn more here
Australia
- Children under six months must use a rear-facing child restraint with an inbuilt harness. They must not sit in the front row if the vehicle has two or more rows of seats.
- Children aged six months to under four years must use a rear-facing or forward-facing child restraint with an inbuilt harness. They must not sit in the front row if the vehicle has two or more rows of seats.
- Children aged four years up to seven years must use a forward-facing approved child restraint with an inbuilt harness, or an approved booster seat with a properly fastened and adjusted seatbelt or child safety harness. They can sit in the front row only if all other rear seats are occupied by children under seven years, in vehicles with two or more rows of seats.
- Children aged seven years and older must use a properly adjusted and fastened child restraint or adult seatbelt, depending on their size.
- These are the minimum legal requirements in Australia. It’s always safest to keep your child in a child restraint or booster seat for as long as possible, depending on his size.
Reference: https://raisingchildren.net.au/preschoolers/safety/car-pedestrian-safety/child-restraints
New Zealand
Age of child | The law says you must: |
---|---|
Until their 7th birthday | Correctly secure your child in an approved child restraint |
From their 7th to their 8th birthday | Correctly secure your child in an approved child restraint if one is available in the vehicle (and if not, in any child restraint or safety belt that is available) |
From 8th birthday to 14 years old | Must use safety belts if available. If not available, they must travel in the back seat. |
Over 14 years old | Must use safety belts where they are available. |
Europe
Ireland
Babies and children under 3 may not travel in a car or goods vehicle (other than a taxi) unless restrained in an appropriate child restraint.
Children over 3 years of age may occupy a forward facing front seat of a vehicle only if they are using a safety belt or an appropriate child restraint. Otherwise, they must travel in a rear seat. Children under 150 centimetres in height and weighing less than 36 kilograms (generally children up to 11/12 years old) must use the correct child seat or booster cushion.
Germany
German law requires children up to 12 years of age who are less than 1.5 metres (59 inches) to ride in an approved car seat or booster. If all other restraints are being used by other children, the child may ride in the back seat with a seat belt. Children under three years of age may not be in a moving vehicle without a suitable car seat, and no rearward facing infant seats are allowed in the front of a vehicle which has an airbag.
These laws also apply when riding in a taxi.
Reference: https://www.howtogermany.com/faq/faq-car-seats.php
Italy
France
Greece
United Kingdom
HEIGHT BASED
Height-based seats are known as ‘i-Size’ seats. They must be rear-facing until your child is over 15 months old. Your child can use a forward-facing child car seat when they’re over 15 months old.
You must check the seat to make sure it’s suitable for the height of your child.
Only EU-approved height-based child car seats can be used in the UK. These have a label showing a capital ‘E’ in a circle and ‘R129’.
WEIGHT BASED
The seat your child can use (and the way they must be restrained in it) depends on their weight.
Only EU-approved weight-based child car seats can be used in the UK. These have a label showing a capital ‘E’ in a circle and ‘ECE R44’.
You may be able to choose from more than one type of seat in the group for your child’s weight.
Child’s weight | Group | Seats |
---|---|---|
0kg to 10kg | 0 | Lie-flat or ‘lateral’ baby carrier, rear-facing baby carrier, or rear-facing baby seat using a harness |
0kg to 13kg | 0+ | Rear-facing baby carrier or rear-facing baby seat using a harness |
9kg to 18kg | 1 | Rear- or forward-facing baby seat using a harness or safety shield |
15kg to 25kg | 2 | Rear- or forward-facing child car seat (high-backed booster seat or booster cushion) using a seat belt, harness or safety shield |
22kg to 36kg | 3 | Rear- or forward-facing child car seat (high-backed booster seat or booster cushion) using a seat belt, harness or safety shield |
Austria
Drivers are responsible for securing children under the age of 14 who are shorter than 150 cm in suitable child restraint systems (e.g. baby seats, child seats, booster seats). If a passenger is under the age of 14 and 150 cm or taller, the driver must make sure that he/she wears a seat belt.
Reference: https://www.help.gv.at/Portal.Node/hlpd/public/content/6/Seite.0638001.html
Asia
Thailand
All passengers must wear a seatbelt but there are currently no car seat laws for children in Thailand
Korea
The fine for not using a car seat as required by law is 30,000 won.
Taiwan
Japan
A rear-facing car seat until the child is 2 years old or 9kg (20lbs), a forward facing car seat for children under the age of 4 and 18kg (40lbs), and a booster seat for children under the age of 8 and 36kg (80lbs.)
Reference: https://www.realestate-tokyo.com/living-in-tokyo/driving/child-seat-safety/
Vietnam
Since quite a few countries in Asia do not have car seat laws, we highly recommend using the Ridesafer Travel Vest. Its ABS padding keeps your little ones protected around their body and the design is to keep the function of the seatbelt work for their smaller bodies. Find out more here: https://www.wandercubs.com/collections/ridesafer
USA
In the U.S., the federal government has allowed each state to craft its own laws regarding child car seats. The result is varying regulations, which puts the onus on anyone driving with a child as a passenger to know the car seat laws in the states in which they reside or will be traveling in.
Click here for the list by state: https://bestcarseathub.com/blog/usa-car-seat-laws-2019/
Canada
In Canada, all provinces and territories require that infants and toddlers be buckled up in the appropriate child car seat. Several provinces also require booster seats for children who have outgrown a child car seat but are too small for a regular seat belt.
All child car seats and booster seats sold in Canada have an expiry date on them.
Comments
mytokyohome
May 21 2019
Nice Blog! Thanks for sharing such post
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