New safety rules for kids in cars, two-wheelers enforced by MVD

Thiruvananthapuram: The Motor Vehicle Department, beginning in December, will enforce safety regulations for children under 14 who travel in cars. Children under four years old must use car seats, and children four to fourteen years old who are 135 cm tall or shorter must use booster cushions with safety belts.

The department wishes to stop the dangerous practice of a youngster sitting on an adult's lap in the front seat, thus the arrangement will be made at the back seat of the vehicle. The decision was made in response to the September 28 tragedy in Malappuram that claimed the life of a two-year-old girl who was seated in the front seat with her mother.

According to Transport Commissioner C Nagaraju, enforcement will take place gradually, starting this month with a social media awareness campaign and followed in November with a warning period, the New Indian Express reported.

“Whether to use a child restraint system (child seat) or child booster cushion seat depends upon the fitting size and height of the child vis-a-vis the seat belt anchorage points. Age of the child is just a thumb rule,” he said.

Children under 135 cm (4 feet, 5 inches) are not allowed to sit in the front seat, according to the rule. A Rs 1000 fine, up to three months in jail, or a three-month driver's license suspension are the possible outcomes of a violation. In addition, the MVD mandates that children over 4 wear helmets and recommends that kids ride two-wheelers securely by using a safety belt harness.