Rules for transporting children under 12 in a car

Most parents every day have to transport children who have not yet turned 12 years old, at different distances in their car. At the same time very often young moms and dads have a question, how to do it correctly, to ensure a sufficient level of safety for their child and avoid paying penalties.

In this article we will give the basic rules for the transportation of children under 12 years in a car, which are established by the legislation of Ukraine and the Russian Federation.

Rules for transporting children in the back and front seat of the car

According to the provisions of traffic rules and the safety of its participants, currently in force in Russia and Ukraine, children up to the age of 12 years are allowed to carry any car on the back or in the front seat. Meanwhile, such transportation should be carried out taking into account some features, namely:

• in the front seat of babies can only be carried in child restraints designed specifically for a car and corresponding to weight, age and other parameters of crumbs;
• In the back seat it is allowed to transport children not only in such devices, but also without them, using special fixing devices that allow the minor passenger to fasten seat belts.

Child restraints may fall into one of several categories, in particular:

• 0 - car crumbs, whose body weight did not reach 10 kg, and age - 12 months. In such a device, the child can only be horizontal, being fastened with a wide seat belt through the stomach;
• 0+ - baby chairs for babies, from the first days after birth and up to about 18 months. Such a device does not accommodate infants weighing more than 13 kg. A small child in it is located in a half-lying position and, although such an armchair can be placed in the car both along the way of its movement and on the opposite side, experts recommend setting it head to the back of the driver;
• 1 - the chairs of the first stage are intended for toddlers with a weight of 9 to 18 kg, which in most cases corresponds to the age range from 1 to 4 years. Such devices can be installed only in the direction of the vehicle's movement and equipped with internal five-point belts, which provide the necessary level of safety of crumbs;
• 2 - seats for preschoolers aged 3 to 7 years, body weight of which is about 15-25 kg. They have a fairly high backrest with the possibility of adjustment, and the child's position in them is determined and reliably fixed with a regular seat belt;
• 3 - boosters for children of school age, weighing from 22 to 36 kg, in the vast majority of cases additionally provided with a fixing limiter upper strap of the safety belt.

The absence of a child seat and any similar violation is punishable by an impressive fine in Ukraine, Russia and most other legal states. Meanwhile, young parents should understand that it is necessary to use such devices not only to avoid paying penalties, but mainly to ensure a sufficient level of safety for their son or daughter.