Protect your child!
In car, place your child in the child-restraint seat
In a vehicle a child has to sit in a certified child-restraint seat. Seat your child on the back seat of the car by according to the instructions of the manufacturer of the seat.
Small children should travel in the car with their backs in the driving direction as long as possible (up to the age of five). Travelling with their backs in the driving direction is twice as safe as travelling facing the driving direction. This is due to the fact that the head of the child is heavy as compared to his or her body: the head of a child forms 25% of the entire body, in case of adults its only 6%.
In case of an accident the body of a child with his or her back in the driving direction is thrown against the back of the seat and damages to the neck and head area are significantly smaller than in case of a child facing the driving direction.
If necessary, the seat can be placed on front seat next to the driver with the back towards the driving direction. However, first one should make sure that the airbag is switched off.
Children over 5 may be seated on child-restraint seat or use the seatbelt pad.
Children over 10 may be seated on the car seat and be fastened with regular seatbelt.
On longer trips you should think ahead about if children have something to do in the car. If a child is disturbed or crying, the attention of the driver is not focused. Make sufficient stops and offer the child activities in the car - simpler toys for smaller children, reading for older. Audiovisual entertainment possibilities, such as watching DVDs may disturb the driver, especially in dark.
What does the traffic code say?
§ 60. If the height of a child who is travelling in an automobile which has safety belts and is sitting by himself or herself does not enable him or her to be fastened as required with a safety belt of the motor vehicle, a child-restraint seat, a carry-cot or other safety equipment which conforms to the requirements and corresponds to the height and weight of the child shall be used. A child may travel in the front seat of an automobile only if he or she is fastened with safety equipment as required.
§ 61. An adult passenger on the back seat of an automobile may carry one child under 12 years of age in his or her lap on the condition that the passenger in whose lap the child sits is fastened with a safety belt as required and that all the seats in the motor vehicle are taken. A child shall not travel in a person’s lap in the front seat of an automobile.
