Car seats: the rules and consequences for those who ignore them

The Highway Code (article 172) establishes precise rules for the transport of infants and children in their own cars.

In fact, for children under one and a half meters, specific safety measures must be adopted, namely the use of seats and lifters which differ according to their weight and age. The directives imposed by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport are aligned with those of the European Community, so even if you travel outside the border, you certainly cannot ignore them.

The penalty for those who contravene these indications is, at best, a high fine and the loss of 5 points on the driving license. In the event of an accident, if unfortunately the infant dies and the infant was not equipped with special safety devices, the risk is the accusation of manslaughter. In short, with the indications, there is certainly no joking, not to mention that really having children well insured in the car is for their safety and health.

The seats and the mandatory anti-abandonment devices for a few months now, are available at excellent prices and high quality on the Euautopezzi.it website. Here each child seat is approved and in line with the legal provisions.

What are the travel rules for children?

The parameters to determine what type of devices to adopt are the height and weight of the child. The products are distinguished between child seats and adapters. The product must obviously be approved, with the wording UN ECE R44 or UN 129 (which currently coexist), and be correctly installed on the car.

In the case of the first approval, the weight classification applies, while for the second, the height . It is important to know that the child must travel in the opposite direction to the direction of travel up to 9 kg or in any case up to 15 months. The airbag must be deactivated.

The adapter is a booster seat with a backrest that is suitable for children over 18 kilograms, starting from 125 cm in height. Since 2017, manufacturers have only to offer solutions with backs, letting the increases that progressively disappear disappear. The seats should instead be identified based on 5 categories ranging from 0 to 3 (0, 0+, 1, 2, 3).

Categories and groups: choosing the right product

Category 0, group 0: it is a seat for babies from the first months up to 10 kilos. The category 0+ can instead reach up to 13 kilos and is equipped with greater protections for the head and legs. A group 1 seat will cover for the transport of the child from 9 to 18 kilos and is usually made to be mounted in the direction of travel with the use of car seat belts. Group 2 is used from 15 to 25 kilograms, it is equipped with armrests and cushions. Group 3 from 22 to 36 kg has cushions but does not usually include armrests. The structure is made in such a way as to be fastened with belts which will also be the ones that will secure the child in the car. The seat therefore does not usually have its own belts.

For a few months, we also remember that the anti-abandonment device has been in force which, as the word itself says, is a device that is used to prevent forgetting the child under the age of 4 in the car, which unfortunately sometimes happened. The device can be integrated in the child seats or separately, independently.