A Reminder about Children in Cars

The summer holidays are about to begin, and that means many families taking to the road, sometimes for a road trip holiday, sometimes just at a holiday destination, but it is important to remember that the rules of the road may differ from country to country, and in Spain, one rule that differs to other locations in the protection of children in cars.

In Spain, children measuring 135 cm in height or less must ride in the rear seats of a vehicle, irrespective of their age, and must sit in the correct and approved seat appropriate to their size and weight.

The only exceptions to this are if the vehicle doesn’t have rear seats, or the rear seats are already occupied by other children. 

Seat belts must be worn by all vehicle occupants.

The Child Restraint Systems for younger and growing children provide the best protection for a child when on board a vehicle. That is why the law dictates their use, to enforce the maximum protection for children.

The use of child restraint systems reduces injuries by up to 75% in the event of a collision. According to data from the DGT, road traffic incidents are the leading cause of death amongst children under 14 years of age, and, tragically, 40% of those children who lose their lives wore no protection system, and, according to the statistics, could well be alive today.

The law also requires seats to be of an approved standard. Those which meet the minimum required standards carry an orange label, usually located at the rear, which guarantees that the seat has undergone a series of tests to prove safety and reliability.

The approval system is based on a European standard and EU regulation ECE-R44.03, which also ensures certain information is listed on the label.

There are a number of classifications for car seats which are based on the physical characteristics of the child, the most important being weight and come with a guide for age, although remembering that children of the same age can differ greatly in their physical characteristics, the age element is just a guide.