There are many issues in the automotive business, the interpretation of which by drivers is fundamentally different. Sometimes they interpret them even from diametrical, polar positions. But when it comes to situations that are directly related to the health and life of people, especially children, you need to clearly dot the “i” and give an unambiguously accurate assessment. This also applies to such a sensitive issue as front seat. There are a lot of rumors around him. So, some believe that such transportation is quite acceptable, their opponents, on the contrary, categorically reject the very possibility of such transportation as illegal, dangerous for the baby.
Experts give a reasoned legal answer, based on the latest changes in domestic legislation and its nuances. Having carefully studied these arguments and recommendations, any driver will subsequently be able to act in accordance with the current requirements of the current legislation and vital important rules kids safety.
Reasons for transporting a child in the front seat
Many are wondering why transport a child in a car in the front, if this can be done at the expense of one of the rear seats. Everything seems to be logical, but life often turns in such a way that completely non-standard situations arise, which were simply impossible to foresee before, for example:
- both rear seats have been dismantled due to repairs or are occupied by a bulky load that cannot be removed, and the transport of a child is essential;
- there is also such a consideration - next to the driver is a minor, especially a very young child, will always be under his closer attention than "on the outskirts" of the back seat, control over which is possible only due to the internal mirror;
- not to mention, of course, that sometimes it is necessary to transport a child in front when he is ill or unwell, if he is afraid and needs constant psychological support and an adult next to him. And being in such a position, for various reasons, is available only to the driver;
- in the end, it can be an exciting trip with elements of an excursion, during which a curious child will be interested in viewing the beautiful sights of the surroundings through the front viewing glass.
In a word, there are many reasons for such transportation of a child, which is widely confirmed by practice.
At what age can a child be transported in the front seat
Careful study of the rules traffic with all the recent additions to it, they give reason to firmly say that there are no age restrictions or recommended ranges in the traffic rules regarding the age of children transported in front. In fact, this means that, wondering if it is possible to transport a child in the front seat , the driver will receive an unequivocal answer - it is not forbidden to carry children of any age, even one-year-old children, in the front passenger seat.
However, the process of such transportation is still regulated by what he calls an essential point. If a boy or girl is not yet 12 years old, a special child car seat is required in front of them to transport them. It should be noted in passing that important nuance that a car seat is also required when transporting children in the back seat if they are under 7 years old, and upon reaching this age, the car seat can be replaced.
Should I put a car seat in the front seat?
So, the transportation of the baby in the front seat is allowed, but if he is not yet 12 years old, for this he must be in a child seat in the front seat.
The rules for transporting children in the front seat imply neutralization. It is turned off so that unwanted activation of this protective device does not cause injury to the child. It is clear that you still have to drive a car with kids in a chair very carefully and carefully, despite the presence of a special device.
There is another characteristic point: although the rules do not prohibit riding in the front seat, experts unanimously do not recommend doing this for elementary safety reasons.
The most dangerous place in terms of the likelihood of injury is the front seat, which has been repeatedly proven by car accident statistics (although this is not noted in the traffic rules). But the presence of a special car seat still reduces this likelihood. On top of that, experts unanimously consider the location of the child (and any passenger in general!) to be the safest in the central rear seat.
What is the penalty for breaking the rule?
Recently, the requirements for the transportation of children have intensified, and financially increased for their violations. And this is perhaps the rare case when many motorists, as a rule, internally agree with such a tightening, since we are talking about the lives of children.
If until 2013 a fine meant a fine of 500 rubles, then this year the fine has increased by 6 times and amounts to 3 thousand rubles. It is prescribed when a child under the age of 12 is transported in the front seat without a car seat, if such a seat is installed incorrectly, etc.
The rules in force in the country do not really prohibit the transportation of children in this way. To do this, all the features of such transportation are specified, the key of which is the placement of a child under the age of 12 in a special car seat. However, it is still strongly discouraged to abuse this opportunity, based on the harsh realities of life. We must remember the increased danger of sitting in the seat next to the driver and be guided by the wise principle "Berezheno and God saves!".
You need to move in a car in compliance with the rules of the road - this means not only competently driving a car, but also ensuring the safety of passengers in its cabin. The traffic rules as amended in 2016 oblige vehicle drivers to take maximum measures to ensure the transportation of the child in the car, especially if he is in place next to the driver, that is, in the front seat of the car.
Standards for transporting children in a car
- inside the car in the front seat;
- in the car in the back seat;
- in the cab of the truck.
According to current regulations, it is strictly forbidden to transport children in the back of a truck or trailer. When transporting children in the cabin of a car equipped with seat belts, children under 12 years of age are transported exclusively using special means baby fixation:
- (for newborns and babies);
- adapter in the form of a triangular pad;
- (with the growth of the child from 1.2 m).
The booster must be equipped with a special strap with a buckle designed to fit and fix the standard car belt on the child's shoulder - the booster cannot be used without such a strap. It is prohibited by road traffic regulations to transport children in the back seat of a motorcycle.
Carrying children in groups of several private cars it is forbidden. With the number of children from 8 people or more, transportation will be considered organized, and transportation of such groups is allowed only on the bus. Mass transportation of children requires special permission from the authorities responsible for these issues.
Carrying young passengers in special child restraints in the front seat of the car is not prohibited. For the smallest passengers (newborns and infants) you will need a car seat, for older children - a car seat. It is not allowed to use an adapter with a standard belt or booster pillow for newborns and infants. It is not forbidden to put babies, including newborns, in the front seat in children's special equipment, but the front seat is not the safest place for a child, so it's worth considering whether to stop at another option.
It is necessary to transport children in a car using special seats that ensure the safety of small passengers Transporting infants in a car seat
Transportation of the youngest passengers in a passenger car provides for a special way to install the cradle - in the back seat in the safest place perpendicular to the movement. It is absolutely necessary to fix such a cradle, this is done with the help of regular car belts.
The child in the cradle must also be secured, the infant carrier has special restraint straps. The design provides for the horizontal position of the baby inside the cradle, this facilitates his breathing and protects the still soft and flexible bones of the child from excessive stress.
The cradle allows you to transport babies in a car from the age of a newborn to six months, this device is quite large and will not last long, so you can use a car seat from the very beginning, you can ride with it for several years.
Transporting infants in a car seat
The car seat also secures the small passenger inside its own structure with the help of special belts. The fastening of the seat itself inside the car interior is carried out with car belts or brackets - the latter, some models of seats are additionally equipped.
The tilt of the back of the seats is adjustable, the recommended angle is from 30 to 45 degrees. Recommendations are due to the fact that such an angle provides maximum protection for the baby in a head-on collision of vehicles. An additional advantage of the chair is that it supports the head and shoulder girdle of the baby well, reduces the load on the neck muscles. If the child needs additional fixation of the head (for example, due to early age), special rollers or fabric folded into a roller can be placed.
Infants in a car seat can also be transported, however, it must have a special ergonomic design and the ability to change the angle of inclination Reasons to get a chair
- compliance with the requirements of traffic rules;
- minimizing the risk to the child.
Take the child to passenger car without a special restraint is prohibited. The introduction of the presence of a restraint for children under 12 years of age in the requirements of traffic rules is due design features passenger car motor vehicle, more precisely, the height of the fastening of its regular seat belts - it is designed for a passenger from 1.5 m tall. Only such a person can be effectively restrained by a belt in dangerous situations (sharp braking) and in case of accidents, without threatening his life. For small children, a regular belt cannot provide an effective and safe hold, and it will also put pressure on the neck. In an emergency, the belt will not protect, and sometimes even add damage to health.
Regulations also prohibit the transportation of babies in their arms, in a regular cradle from a stroller. When vehicles collide at medium speeds, the weight of the baby increases by an order of magnitude, holding it becomes problematic even for a strong adult.
When carried in an unsecured box or carrycot, the effect will be the same as when carried by hand. The age range from 0 to 12, during which children should be carried in car seats and other restraints, was chosen due to the fact that at the age of 12 a small person, as a rule, grows up to 1.5 m in height. And in this case, it is already possible to use regular car seat belts to ensure the safety of a young passenger both in the front and in the back seat of the car.
Car seat location: safe and comfortable
- front seat;
- any back seat.
Where is the safest place for a baby in a car? The safest place to install a child car seat is This is the center back seat.. In case of an accident, according to statistics, the passenger who is in this place suffers the least. Another advantage of installing a chair in the center is an open windshield, that is good review for a child. Fixing a child car seat, no matter where it is installed, must be done correctly - this is also a very important point.
You can also put the car seat to the right of the driver, this is not prohibited by law and other regulatory standards, but an important condition must be met - turn off the airbag. When activated, the pillow can harm the health of the child in the car seat. You need to fasten the chair with a standard seat belt or staples, if any, in the kit. After the age of 12, the child can use standard seat belts on a general basis, in which case the airbag must be active.
You can also transport a child in a car seat in the front seat next to the driver, but this can only be done with the airbag turned off Car seat selection and motivating factors
Transportation of a child in a passenger car without restraints is prohibited, but this is not the main motive for good parents. Of course, anyone wants to avoid a fine, but in this case it is not just about some abstract requirements, but about the life of a child.
It is better to choose a chair not with the expectation of the future, so that “enough for all the time”, but suitable for the height and weight of the baby. It is important that the baby likes the chair from the standpoint of comfort and energy efficiency. An important point is the quality and type of fasteners directly in the device - the child must be fixed securely.
The driver, taking a passenger into the cabin, especially a baby, is responsible for his life. Therefore, it is very important to try to save the life and health of the passenger, using all the required protective equipment (seat belts, child car seats, etc.). The leading motivator in this case should not be the fear of getting a fine, but the responsibility and consciousness of the driver.
Clinical and perinatal psychologist, graduated from the Moscow Institute of Perinatal and Reproductive Psychology and Volgograd State Medical University with a degree in clinical psychology
More recently, the Rules of the Road listed the means of ensuring the safety of the child, which were necessary for the ability to carry children in private vehicles.
The list included car seats, boosters and adapters, but in 2019, of the three items, only the child restraint system, better known as the car seat, remained. Its type and degree of attachment depends on the age at which the parents intend to transport the child.
Important!
The changes adopted in the past, and which came into force in 2019, clearly interpret that a beloved child can only be seated in the front seat after a certain age and there can be no deviations from this. Whatever the skill of the driver, at the time of the accident, the instinct of self-preservation is triggered. The passenger in the front seat is the first to be at risk in an accident.
The rules of the road, after the changes made last year, are interpreted unambiguously in 2019:
- children can only be transported in the back seat;
- until the age of 7 they must be in an infant carrier or car seat;
- from the age of 7 years they can be in the back, but only in a position fastened with seat belts;
- if there are no such belts in the back seat, vehicle not suitable for transportation, a thin and short baby can still be seated in a car seat.
Note!
Incorrectly installed structures, the installation of which does not comply with special instructions, are considered not to fulfill their purpose. In this case, they do not perform the intended functions, and their presence is not considered a justification for the recorded violation. In 2019, special importance is attached to the transportation of children from 7 to 12 years old in the back seat without fastening with seat belts.
If there is a seat in the car, but the child is not transported in it, this is also considered a violation, as well as if he is sitting in a car seat, but not properly fastened.
For reference!
The answer to the question, from what age can children be seated in the front seat, is unambiguous and leaves no room for speculation and conditions. It is absolutely unambiguous in the traffic rules that it is indicated from what age it is allowed to carry. And this is the moment when the child turns 12 years old. Moreover, even the achieved twelve years will not be an excuse if the passenger's seat belt is not fastened.
Provided sanctions and conditions
For transporting a child in the wrong form, the fine of the driver-parent, friend or relative on their own vehicles is initially estimated at 3,000 rubles.
If this is the first violation of its kind, that will be the end of it. For malicious violators, other measures may be provided, up to administrative liability on a different principle, and not just material.
Interesting!
The requirements for the transportation of children remain unchanged in the area of natural disaster, after an accident, in extreme situations. Only transportation in car seats can be carried out, with all the features arising from the instructions. The same rule applies to the transportation of a disabled child.
In 2019, changes to the Traffic Rules and an increase in the system of financial sanctions provide that incorrect transport of a child can lead to a fine for an official (driver in the performance of official duties) for 25 thousand rubles, and its management or enterprise - for one hundred thousand.
Fact!
In exceptional cases, a child under the age of 12 can be transported in the front seat. This is allowed when being transported to a hospital for hospitalization or a baby at a certain age weighs more than 36 kg. At the same time, attention is necessarily paid to whether he is fastened with a seat belt or not.
In various sources, you can find jubilant reports that a child can be transported in a seat next to the driver's seat almost from birth, provided there is a car seat. However, in this case, the baby is in much greater danger, and because the front seat next to the driver is notorious as a suicide bombing site. And because in this case it is necessary to turn off the airbag without fail. Opening up during an accident, it can cause great harm to the baby, because the pressure is designed for an adult.
Advice!
Before looking for loopholes in existing laws, you need to reflect on the potential risks. The kid in the back seat, behind the driver's back, is in relative safety, besides, it distracts him from driving to a lesser extent, being securely fixed in the seat. From the age of 12, he will behave consciously and, with a great desire, will move forward.
And again, hello everyone! The car is becoming an indispensable companion of life for an increasing number of our fellow citizens. We often travel on it with all family members (read about mine), including taking children with us on trips. However, the rules of the road impose certain restrictions, which it would be useful to inform you about. The topic of today's review is the transportation of children in the front seat, and everything connected with this.
Many drivers find it difficult to answer this question, but it is related to the safety of each child on the one hand, and fines from the traffic police on the other. Meanwhile, the rules quite clearly regulate this issue, and since January 1, 2017, there is an innovation in this regard.
Children over 7 years old are allowed to ride in the back seat, fastened with a standard seat belt.
A number of motorists habitually prefer to seat the child on backseat so as not to get yourself in trouble. However, traffic rules do not prohibit children from riding in the front seats. Rather, much here will depend on the age of the child who is transported in this way. The main criterion that regulates these subtleties is age. So, if he is under 12 years old, then he should be transported in a special car seat or restraint. Of course, no one does this with school-age children, and therefore it is easier for the child to be in the back.
Another question looks something like this: is it possible to install a child seat in the front seat. The rules do not prohibit doing this, but some actions will have to be taken, in particular, it will be necessary to turn off the frontal airbag, which can cause injury to the child's body if the seat is installed against the direction of travel. Parents traditionally puzzle over where it is better to put a child car seat, and what place will be the safest for this purpose?
Types of car seats
It is generally accepted that the lowest risk of injury is the seat directly behind the driver. Front passenger seat is among the most unsafe. Is it allowed to transport a child in the front seat? Definitely a child seat is recommended to be placed directly in the center of the rear passenger seat. For the transportation of children, special regulations are also provided that relate to car seats. Such devices can be classified as follows:
An important role in ensuring the safety of transporting children is played by the car itself. Check out. Another common mistake that unknowing drivers make is carrying children in the arms of adults. You should not do this, because in the event of an emergency, there is a risk that an adult will not hold the baby or simply crush him with his own weight.
Now let's see what the law says about possible penalties for negligent parents. The Code of Administrative Offenses provides for the payment of a fine in the amount of 3000 rubles in the absence of a chair (special restraint) or transportation of children with signs of violation.
Since a large number of families own a car, many drivers have to deal with the transportation of children. Most countries are tightening measures as well as developing better safety systems that have saved thousands of children's lives and avoided dangerous accidents. Remember that if your child has reached the age of 12, then he has the right to use a regular seat belt. And until that moment, it is desirable to still have to transport it in a car seat.