Rules for the transportation of children in different countries of the world

These clients are often families with babies or children aged 3 and older. Such parents think that their children are ready to use seat belts or that they can just sit on their parents' knees.

Your main arguments for booking a child seat are the safety of a child and a large fine for violating car seat laws.

Remember that a driver has the right to refuse to perform a transfer in case the clients with kids haven't ordered child seats. And this is not only losing money and paying extra for taking some other transport. This is also an angry client who will blame you for all this.

Below, we'll tell you about the rules for the transportation of children in different countries:

When traveling across Europe, children may use only seat belts if they are:

• aged 12 and older and over 135 cm tall;
• under 12 and over 135 cm tall;
• aged 12 and older and under 135 cm tall.

If a child is under 135 cm tall and under 12, a child car seat or booster seat suitable for his/her height and weight is required.

Transportation of children under 3:

• Such children can travel only in the back seat.
• In some countries (Denmark, Lithuania, Portugal, Croatia, Sweden, and Estonia), such kids can travel in the front seat in case their child seat is rear-facing and the airbag is deactivated.

Fine for violating the laws:

• €35 to €400. The average fine is €100-200 (Spain, Italy, Cyprus, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, and France).

Turkey is one of the most popular family destinations. Tell your clients about the local child car seat laws.

• Children under 12 must travel in a child car seat or booster seat in the back seat of a car.
• Children aged 12 or older can travel in a car using a seat belt.

Fine for violating the laws:

• 108 Turkish Lira or around €18.

Here, all rules come down to one thing:

• Only the driver and the front seat passenger must wear seat belts. Child car seats are not compulsory.

This law is in force in Thailand, China, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia. In the Chinese city of Shanghai, a child car seat is compulsory for children under 4. And in India — for children under 13.

Tourists may decide they don't need a child seat because they won't even be fined, since it's common to violate the rules in Asia. Yes, expenses are not an argument here. The main argument is danger to children's health.

In this region, car seat laws differ greatly. While in the Dominican Republic and Cuba it's enough to use seat belts, many mainland countries have clear regulations.

Here is an example. In Barbados, children under 4 must travel in a child car seat in the back seat of a vehicle. Children aged 4 and older — in the back seat using a seat belt. The fine for violating these laws is 500 Barbadian dollars (around €222) or up to 3 months of imprisonment.

In general, the situation in the Caribbean is similar to that in Asia — seat belts are compulsory, but cars often don't have them. At the same time, serious accidents are not uncommon here.

The situation here is much more complicated. Each state has their own laws. However, they have some common rules.

• Children aged 8 to 18 must use seat belts.
• Children under 8 must travel in the appropriate child car seat.
• While children under 4 — only in the back seat of a car.

Many states require federally approved child car seats. That means all seats need to be tested and certified. Thus, it can be concluded that:

Car seats that travelers take from their own countries are automatically considered illegal here.

The fine for violating these laws is $10 to $500 depending on the state.

Tell your clients about the advantages of booking a Kiwitaxi transfer with a child seat.

• We pick a child restraint according to the car seat laws of a certain country.
• Our seats suit child's age and weight: an infant car seat for babies weighing up to 9 kg, a child car seat for children weighing 9 to 18 kg, or a booster seat for children weighing 13 to 36 kg.
• Unlike old and sometimes dirty car seats provided by car rental companies, car seats in Kiwitaxi transfers are in good condition. They provide the highest level of children's comfort and safety during the trip.

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