Thailand mandates child car seats from September 5 – including cheaper “special seats”; bring RM250 fine
Thailand has now used child car seat mandatory as part of a sweeping revision of the Road Traffic Act of 1979. The new law, which also includes road racing, aims to update regulations and impose tougher penalties if violated.
Most relevant in this story are the amendments to Section 123, which previously covered seat belt use only (the law was revised in 2017 to enforce rear seat belt use). Children under the age of six will now have to be safely secured in a child safety seat or “special child seat”, with details on exactly what type of seat will be announced. by the police commissioner.
The Land of Smiles has also increased the fines for non-compliance (both wearing a seat belt and using a child seat) from the former 500 baht (RM60) to 2,000 baht (RM250), despite the regulation. This has an exception for unprotected children. health or physical reasons. The new laws will go into effect on September 5, 2022.
Nikorn Chamnog, Vice Chairman of the House of Commons Committee which is scrutinizing the amendments, said the child seat law allows for the use of cheaper “seat cushions” that cost around 600 (RM80) to 700 Baht (RM90). , Bangkok Post Office reported. He added this is because proper child seats cost more than 10,000 baht (RM1,300), which is the price applicable for mid-range ISOFIX child seats in Malaysia.
This “seat cushion” allows children to sit high enough to be effectively secured using the car’s built-in seat belt, says Nikorn. This may refer to booster seats designed to accommodate older children, rather than those “baby chair” makeshift fragile Not really suitable for use in cars.
Nikorn, who is also the Chair of the World Health Organization (WHO) Asia-Pacific Regional Network on Road Safety, said the committee was studying child restraint regulations in Malaysia and the Philippines and found that enforcing the law proved difficult in the early stages due to the “high price of car seats.”
He added that the police should initially be lenient and issue warnings rather than take action, as motorists will need time to adjust. Nikorn also advised the government to launch a public education campaign and consider reducing import duties on child seats while promoting local production.
In Malaysia, the use of child safety seats is Mandatory January 2020 but enforcement of the law – which is supposed to begin in July – has already postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In August of that year, we reported that scheduled to start at the end of 2020but we have checked with the Road Transport Authority (JPJ) and found that the authority has not yet commenced enforcement.
In any case, no one should wait until the police start to fine motorists before they make sure their kids are safe. Child safety seats are essential in preventing children from being subjected to violence in a crash and they don’t have to go bankrupt – not when appropriate, ECE R44/4 certified seats can cost less than RM200. Good or not, you just want the best for your loved ones, right?
