How Old Can the Baby Car Seat Be and Still Be Legal

Using a child car seat is a legal requirement in the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland. Rules tin exist confusing, so we've pulled together everything you need to know so you don't get pulled over and fined.

Find out everything, from U.k. auto seat laws and the differences betwixt height and weight-based child car seats, to whether you can use motorcar seats in an Uber, and the rules for children and car seats in a van.

Cheque out our acme 10 baby car seats, our selection of the best rear-facing toddler motorcar seats, every bit well as the best car seats for older children to notice the best motorcar seat for your little ane.

What is the law for child auto seats?

UK law states that children must use a child car seat until they're 12 years one-time or 135cm/4ft 5in alpine, whichever comes first.

Nonetheless, safety experts recommend that you use a child machine seat for all children under 150cm/4ft 11in. This is the legal requirement in Ireland and some other European countries, such equally Deutschland and France.

For children weighing more than 36kg (5st 10lb) merely nether 150cm/4ft 11in, our communication is to become by summit. Gov.britain states that children aged 12 or 13 years former, or younger and over 135cm tall, tin wear a seatbelt.

Merely an EU-canonical auto seat can be used in the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland. Child car seats approved outside of the EU (the U.s.a. for example) tin can't be used in the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland, and Eu-canonical auto seats can't be used in other countries, such equally the United states of america.

Buying the wrong child motorcar seat could mean y'all're putting your child'due south life at risk, while also breaking the law.

Which? crash tests every motorcar seat nosotros review. Nosotros only recommend the best kid car seats - those that exercise well in crash tests are simple to install and easy to use.

What is the correct kid car seat?

An advisable kid machine seat is one that:

conforms to the Un standard, ECE Regulation 44/03 or ECE 44/04 (this is marked on a label on the seat), or is approved under UN R129 (i-Size is a part of R129)
is suitable for the child's weight and size, or height (if buying an i-Size seat)
is correctly fitted according to the manufacturer'southward instructions.

Don't go caught out using a booster seat incorrectly. Read our guide: Booster seats - are you breaking the law?

Height-based or weight-based car seats?

You tin choose a kid auto seat based on your kid's weight or height.

Weight-based child machine seats:

Most kid auto seats are split into groups co-ordinate to the weight of the child they're designed to protect.

These groups are defined by Un condom regulations and cover children from birth all the manner upwardly to 12 years erstwhile or 135cm (around 36kg).

Moving babies and younger children to the next group before they accomplish the maximum weight or height for their seat could atomic number 82 to more severe injuries in a crash. It's also against the law to put your child in a seat that's inappropriate.

See our guide to car seat weight groups for more data on what seat to buy and when.

Height-based car seats:

i-Size is office of the European child car seat regulation R129, which came into forcefulness in the UK at the showtime of April 2015.

i-Size motorcar seats become by tiptop instead of weight. A truthful i-Size car seat volition only use Isofix connectors, although some infant car seats can yet be installed in your car using the car's adult seatbelt. Information technology'south mandatory for a baby to exist rear-facing in an i-Size seat until he or she is 15 months old.

i-Size car seats will fit all i-Size-certified cars and almost all cars with Isofix. Check with the car manufacturer to see in which position you lot can use an i-Size auto seat in your vehicle.

Find out whether i-Size child automobile seats are safer and will fit in your car past reading our guide on i-Size car seats .

Child car seat law by age

The rules for vans are the same as for cars.

Child up to three years old

Who is responsible?The driver
Front seat:Correct kid car seat must be used.
Rear seat: Children nether 3 must be in a child machine seat. If in that location's no room for a third child seat in the dorsum of your vehicle, children aged three or under can use the forepart seat but just if they are in a child car seat. If your vehicle doesn't have seat belts in the back, a kid under 3 can't travel.

You tin't accept children under three on an unexpected journeying over a brusk altitude in a vehicle without a seatbelt or the correct child motorcar seat. The merely exception to this dominion is if it's in a licensed taxi or minicab (private rent vehicles) and the kid travels on the rear seats.

See the best infant and kid machine seats that have come out in top our crash tests.

Child from third birthday up to 135cm in acme, or 12th birthday, whichever they attain beginning

Who is responsible? The driver
Front seat: Correct child restraint must be used.
Rear seat: If in that location's no room for a third child seat in the dorsum of your vehicle, children aged three or older can sit in the dorsum using an adult belt.

If your vehicle does not have seatbelts in the rear, a child aged 3 or older can travel in the dorsum seat without a car seat and without a seatbelt. This rule simply applies if the automobile came without seatbelts in the back originally. A child aged iii or over can travel in the rear seat of a licensed taxi or mini cab (private rent vehicle) without a car seat but only if they article of clothing an adult seatbelt. For journeys that are unexpected, necessary and over a short distance, a child anile three or over tin sit in the back only, using the adult seatbelt.

Find out why information technology's of import to opt for a high-backed booster seat past reading out guide to the Best child machine seats for older children.

Child aged 12-13 years quondam, or younger and taller than 135cm

Who is responsible?The commuter
Front seat:Seatbelt must be worn.
Rear seat:Seatbelt must be worn.

Passengers ages fourteen years old and over

Who is responsible? The passenger
Front seat:Seatbelt must be worn.
Rear seat: Seatbelt must be worn.

Children with disabilities or medical weather

Gov.uk states that the same rules utilise for children with disabilities or medical conditions, but they can employ a disabled person's seatbelt or a child restraint designed for their needs.

A dr. can result an exemption certificate if a child is unable to use a restraint or seatbelt because of their condition.

Dad putting Maxi Cosi infant carrier in car

Practise you need a child car seat in a taxi, minicab or Uber?

A commuter can exist fined upwards to £500 if a kid under xiv isn't in the right auto seat or wearing a seatbelt while you're driving. However, at that place are exceptions to the law when it comes to travelling in taxis, minicabs and Ubers.

children under 3 can travel without a child'southward auto seat or seatbelt, but only on a rear seat
children aged three or older can travel in a rear seat without a child's car seat if they clothing an adult seatbelt
A 2021 survey* past Which? found 54% of parents thought you could be fined if you don't utilize a car seat for your child in a taxi

If yous take a child nether three years of historic period, some experts feel the best option is to sit the child next to you on their own seat (if they are able to), or use your own car seat.

Belongings them on your lap isn't the best option because in the event of a serious crash your body weight may beat out the child or, even worse, they may be flung out the car.

We would recommend finding a taxi house that can provide a auto seat for when yous travel, or bring your own.

*Survey carried out in February 2021 of 2,021 parents with a kid under the historic period of five.

Practice minibus or coach firms need to provide child auto seats?

Minibus or coach drivers and companies don't have to provide child motorcar seats, so you'll need to bring your own.

On coaches, there is no law requiring children to travel in a child car seat or to employ a seat belt, if they're not available.

For minibuses, all children need to travel in rear seats (behind the commuter) if a child auto seat or adult seat belt is unavailable. Children aged iii or older must use a child car seat if there'due south i available. If there isn't a car seat, they must use an developed seat belt.

Other exceptions to the child machine seat constabulary

No room for a tertiary child seat in the dorsum

If there's no room for a third child seat in the back seat (where ii occupied child car seats in the rear prevent the fitting of a third one) a third child under the age of iii can't travel unless they are in the front seat with the correct child seat.

Children more than 3 years sometime tin either employ the front seat with the correct kid seat or sit in the back using an adult belt.

Unexpected but necessary journeys over a brusk distance

If you have an unexpected simply necessary journey over a short distance, and you don't have the right kid car seat, a child over 3 years old tin can employ the adult seatbelt.

You must not have children under three in a vehicle without a seatbelt or the correct child auto seat (except in the back seat of a taxi or minicab).

Vehicles without seat belts

The following rules only apply if the vehicle was originally made without seatbelts.

Gov.uk states that children under iii must exist in a child car seat. If there'south no seatbelt, they can't travel. A child anile three or older can travel in a dorsum seat without a automobile seat and without a seatbelt if the vehicle doesn't take i.

Penalties for ignoring the police on using child car seats

The consequences of ignoring the legal requirements could be expensive (at all-time) or fatal (at worst). Constabulary are able to administer an on-the-spot fine which could be as much equally £500 if the case is referred to courtroom.

Remember, the driver of the vehicle is responsible for ensuring all passengers are safely strapped in. If you're the driver, always check.

Thankfully, it seems parents are becoming increasingly clued upwards on what you'll be fined for when it comes to transporting children. A 2021 survey* by Which? found 88% of parents know they can be fined if they don't use a car seat for their own immature children, while 86% of parents are au fait with the law stating they can be fined for not using a motorcar seat for someone else's young children.

* Survey carried out in February 2021 of 2,021 parents with a child nether the age of five.

Why can't children only utilise an adult seatbelt?

Children need their ain especially designed child car seat to keep them safe in a crash because their bodies are not merely smaller versions of adult bodies.

Equally babies' bodies are in the early stages of development, they need protection based on specific physical traits:

Dissimilar proportions – babies take bigger heads and smaller limbs
Babies' major organs are in different places
Babies' bones and muscles aren't fully formed
Babies are more than vulnerable to injury than adults.

Child auto seats are designed to protect a child's most vulnerable areas at each stage of their development.

Restraint systems – adult seatbelts and kid motorcar seats – are designed to practice three things:

Go along people abroad from the vehicle structure during a crash
Reduce their momentum in a controlled way
Distribute the forces of a crash over the strongest parts of the body, with minimum damage to the soft tissue and organs.

Children are also pocket-size to position the adult belt over their shoulders and pelvis correctly, and their basic aren't strong enough to absorb the energy of a crash without affecting their internal organs.

A proper child-restraint system like a auto seat provides the best protection for kids equally they change and abound.

Can I use a carrycot instead of a child auto seat?

Our experts agree that the safest way to transport babies is in a rearward-facing infant auto seat. A good car seat will help protect your baby in both frontal and side impact crashes.

However, automobile seat carrycots tin can exist a good solution for newborn babies, especially premature babies or those with medical conditions who need to be transported lying completely flat.

In this instance we'd recommend a automobile seat carrycot with skillful crash test results.

However, a carrycot will take upwardly a lot of space across the back seat, which may not be applied if you have to transport multiple children. They also tend to exist outgrown faster than standard baby machine seats.

A pushchair carrycot should never be used in a car, unless it's approved for use as a child car seat.

Find more tips and advice on finding the best car seats for babies .

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Source: https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/child-car-seats/article/child-car-seat-laws-uk-and-abroad/child-car-seat-laws-in-the-uk-ay4Sj1h8HGhU