According to UK law, children can normally use a child car seat until the age of 12 or when they grow 135cm tall, whichever one comes first. Children over the age of 12 or those taller than 135cm must wear a seat belt. You may have to pay a fine of up to £500 if a child travelling in your car is under 14 and not wearing a seat belt or not using the correct seat with you as the driver.
Using a child car seat is required by law in the UK, although the rules can be initially confusing. This article explains everything you need to know about child car seats and the current legislation around it.
What the current legislation says about child car seats
UK law states that children are required to use a car seat until they are 12 years old or 4ft. 5in. tall (135cm), whichever comes first.
However, road safety experts recommend that you use a child car seat for all children under 4ft. 11in. (150cm) tall. In Ireland and some EU countries like France and Germany, in fact, this is a legal requirement.
Now, let’s say the children travelling with you weigh over 36 kilos but under 150cm tall; in this case, you can go by height to decide whether they require child car seats or not. Simply wait until your child is 150cm tall before allowing them to use your car’s seatbelt.
Within the UK, you can use only an EU-based car seat. Those which have been approved outside the EU cannot be legally used in the UK, while EU-approved seats cannot be legally used in other countries – like the US, for example.
Buying the wrong child car seat for use within the UK can not only have legal ramifications but also put your child’s safety in jeopardy.
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How to identify the correct child car seat
In the UK, you need to look for a car seat that meets the following criteria:
- The child car seat meets the UN’s standard – ECE 44/04 or ECE Regulation 44/03 – which is labelled on the seat itself – or one that is approved under UN R129. The i-Size, for instance, is part of the R129 standard.
- The child car seat is appropriate according to the size, weight, or height of the child (if you are buying an i-Size seat).
- The child car seat fits according to the manufacturer’s specifications.
Choose weight-based or height-based child car seat?
You can choose a child car seat based either on your little one’s weight or height.
Child car seats according to weight
The majority of child car seats in the UK are split into groups to accommodate a variety of child weights. The groups are defined by the UN’s safety regulations, covering children from birth up to the age of 12 or around 36 kilos (135cm).
Be careful though – moving toddlers and younger children up to a weight group before they reach the appropriate maximum height or weight for a specific seat, could result in serious injuries, should they be involved in a car accident. Furthermore, putting your child in a seat that is not appropriate for them is illegal and could result in a hefty fine.
Child car seats according to height
As part of R129 – the European car seat regulation which became effective in the UK from April 215 – i-Size car seats are classified by height and not weight. A genuine i-Size child car seat integrates Isofix connectors only, although certain child car seats may be installed using the car’s existing adult seatbelt. It is a legal requirement for a toddler to be rear-facing only in an i-Size seat until the age of 15 months.
i-Size seats can fit all i-Size-certified cars and practically all cars outfitted with Isofix. You may need to check with your car manufacturer to determine the position in which you are able to use one.
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Can a child sit forward-facing in a car seat?
According to UK law, your child must sit only rear-facing in a car seat until the age of 15 months. However, extended rear-facing car seats for children are now becoming more common across the nation. In fact, crash tests indicate that they are not only safer but also keep your child in a rear-facing seated position until they are 4 – which many experts believe is ideal.
Current child car seat law according to age and who’s responsible
Children up to 3 years old
- The driver is responsible
- Front seat: Child car seat must be used according to weight or height
- Rear seat: Child car seat must be used according to weight or height. Your car must have seat belts in the back or children under 3 cannot travel with you
Children between 3-12 or up to 135cm tall (whichever comes first)
- The driver is responsible
- Front seat: The appropriate child seat/restraint must be used according to weight or height
- Rear seat: Use the appropriate child seat/restraint. If there’s no room to accommodate a third child seat in the back, children 3 years or older can sit in the back if there is an adult seat belt.
Children between 12-13 or younger/taller than 135cm
- The driver is responsible.
- Front and back seat: Wearing a seatbelt is mandatory.
Children 14 and over
- The passenger is responsible.
- Front and back seat: Wearing a seatbelt is mandatory
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Liber Financial can help you determine eligibility and make the entire process really easy for you.
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