Traffic Police Department answers questions about regulations on the use of safety devices for children

According to Decree 168/2024/ND-CP regulating administrative sanctions for violations of traffic order and safety in the field of road traffic; deduction of points, restoration of driving license points, from January 1, 2026, private cars must have safety equipment when carrying children. Article 6 of this Decree stipulates a fine of VND 800,000 to VND 1 million for drivers carrying children under 10 years old and under 1.35 meters tall in a car sitting in the same row as the driver (except for cars with only 1 row of seats), or not using appropriate safety equipment for children as prescribed.

There is only a little over a month left for the above regulation to take effect. After this information was published, it attracted a lot of public attention. However, many people still wonder, what are the safety devices for children and what are the standards?

A representative of the Traffic Police Department (Ministry of Public Security) said that people can use child belts, child seats or child cushions in cars that are suitable for the child's condition, the family's condition and the conditions of use in the car. These devices all have the same effect as safety devices to prevent accidents when they occur.

The regulation that children under 10 years old and under 1.35 meters tall in cars must use appropriate safety equipment is to ensure the health and lives of the drivers' and parents' children. Therefore, this is extremely necessary, and the authorities have also researched it in advance," said a representative of the Traffic Police Department.

Regarding the roadmap for implementing the above regulations, a representative of the Traffic Police Department said that the recommendation and encouragement for people to use child seats in cars is not a new practice, but has been in place for many years and many drivers have bought and used them for their children. In order to comply with international traffic laws that Vietnam has joined, such as the Vienna Convention, the United Nations' recommendations on traffic safety, etc., Vietnam has legalized the above regulations to protect children and vulnerable groups, because this is a group of people who cannot protect themselves and need parents and adults. When parents cannot protect their children, the law will be needed.

According to the representative of the Traffic Police Department, the authorities have set a roadmap to apply penalties until January 1, 2026. In addition, regulations and standards on child seat safety equipment are also available according to the National Technical Regulation QCVN 123:2024/BGTVT.

Explaining that children under 10 years old and under 1.35 meters tall must use child seats and must have safety equipment, a representative of the Traffic Police Department said that when children are under 1.35 meters tall, using the car seat belt will not ensure safety in the event of a collision, because with that height of the child, the seat belt only reaches the head and neck, which is not suitable for the child, and does not ensure the safety of the belt for the child. In terms of age, children over 10 years old can absorb and listen to their parents and adults. Children under 10 years old are still naughty and need adult supervision.

There have been many studies according to international standards, then the authorities have applied them into law and this is very practical. “Many times people think that holding a child in their arms is safe, but it is not. In a collision, the child can be thrown out, causing injury. Or if the driver suddenly brakes, the child can be thrown forward, causing danger,” said a representative of the Traffic Police Department.

According to this person, children are the ones who cannot protect themselves. Therefore, children need responsible adults and laws to protect children - the vulnerable. People need to obey and comply with traffic laws.

Section 1.3.1 sub-section 1.3 Section 1 of QCVN 123:2024/BGTVT explains: 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: Child restraint systems (CRS) are a combination of components including seats, belts, safety locks, adjustment devices and other accessories such as cradles, crash guards; capable of being securely installed in cars. Advanced child restraint systems (ECRS), including comprehensive ISOFIX integrated child restraint systems, "special vehicle" ISOFIX integrated child restraint systems.

In subsection 2.1 Section 2 of QCVN 123:2024/BGTVT, the general regulations for child safety devices are as follows: Child safety devices must be suitable for installation in cars. There must be no sharp edges or protrusions that could damage the clothes of the car occupants or damage the car seat covers. The hard parts of the child safety device must not expose sharp edges that could wear out the belt at the contact points with the belt. The parts of the child safety device must not be removable or cannot be removed without the use of specialized tools. Any components designed to be removable for maintenance or adjustment must be ensured to avoid the risk of incorrect installation and improper use.