THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Motor Vehicle Department will enforce safety rules for children under 14 years traveling in cars starting December. The regulations require car seats for children under 4 years and booster cushions with safety belts for children aged 4 to 14 who are 135 cm tall or shorter.
The arrangement shall be made at the rear seat of the car as the departments wants to prevent the unsafe practice of a child sitting on an adult’s lap in the front seat. The decision was taken in the wake of the death of a two year old girl who was sitting in the front seat with her mother when the car met with an accident in Malappuram on September 28.
Transport Commissioner C Nagaraju said that enforcement will occur in phases, beginning with an awareness campaign on social media this month, followed by a warning period in November.
“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.
As per the rule children shorter than 135 cm (4 feet, 5 inches) are prohibited from sitting in the front seat. Violations may result in a fine of Rs 1,000, up to three months of imprisonment, or a three-month suspension of the driver’s license.
The MVD has also made helmets mandatory for children over 4 years and recommends using a safety belt harness to secure children while riding on two-wheelers.