Since 1993, it has been compulsory in germany, securing young passengers by child seat in the car.
According to the sttvo, child seats are compulsory until the age of four age of 12 years or a size of 150 cm.
A child seat is only approved for use on the road if it has a official approval has.
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Compulsory child seats in cars – these facts you should know
No sooner is the family stowed away in the car, the car unparked and the first kilometer of the journey over, than it starts: the little brother almost rams the crayon into the knee of the big sister while she is coloring, who then takes revenge with a bookmark. Fortunately, child seats ensure that even with the greatest of contention the little ones stay safely in their seats. Here’s what you need to know about compulsory child safety seats in the car.
Facts and figures on mandatory child safety seats in germany
in germany the government has mandatory child safety seat introduced in 1993 and laid down in the road traffic regulations (sttvo). Since then, some aspects have been added – for example, to the standards for seats.
The term "child seat" covers various types of seats:
- Baby car seat as a car seat for infants
- Reboard child seats for children up to four years old
- Follow-on seat for children up to at least twelve years
- booster seat without backrest for children up to at least twelve years of age
Studies by the German Federal Highway Research Institute (bast) show that parents disregard the obligation to use child safety seats more often than the obligation to use seat belts. This is especially true for children older than six years: 15 percent of this age group were on the road without a suitable seat, 1.5 percent of them even without a seat belt.
All in all, the acceptance of mandatory child safety seats continuously increased over the course of time. Whereas in 1995 only 52 percent of parents had a child seat in their family car, in 2019 the figure was 92 percent.
Read the detailed rules on mandatory child safety seats in germany in the following section.
Compulsory child seats in germany: the stvo in detail
The compulsory use of child seats in cars is stipulated in §21 of the stvo passenger transport regulations. Up to which size is the child car seat mandatory? the germany government has a regulation that states that for young people up to a height of 150 cm or an age of 12 years transport in a child seat is mandatory. In addition, the baby car seat or the car seat of the test standard UN ECE reg. 44 or 129 correspond. Child seats for babies up to 15 months of age must be installed in a rearward-facing position according to the latest regulations.
The position is not specified in the stvo: the child seat can be placed in the front or on the back seat. However, the safest position for your child is in the middle of the back seat. If this is not possible, often the right side is recommended.
If you disregard these child seat regulations, you could face a fine in germany fine or points in flensburg. Details about the possible penalties can be found further down the page.
As soon as the above-mentioned size or age is exceeded, your daughter or son can simply fasten the seat belt. However, we recommend that you still booster seat to be used with back support or belt hook in the car while your child is still smaller than 150 cm.
Important to knowIf the children sit in the front, you must switch off the passenger airbag in rear-facing child seats. If this is not possible in your vehicle, your child will have to sit in the back seat. If there are side airbags in the rear, make sure that the child seat is positioned so that the head does not come into the range of the airbags – even if it falls to the side while sleeping.
These regulations apply in other countries
Up to what age is the child seat obligatory?? If you are going on vacation with your children, it is best to find out in advance about the regulations in the country you are going to. Even within europe, the regulations for passenger transport sometimes differ greatly. Here are some examples from popular vacation countries:
In the switzerland the child seat obligation is similar to that in germany- here, too, the car regulations state that the seat must comply with ECE regulation nr. 44 must comply.
In Öaustria the law stipulates that child seats are compulsory up to the age of 14, but only up to a height of 1.35 meters.
The compulsory child seat in italy states that children under nine kilos must drive in a rear-facing child seat. From 9 to 36 kilos you need a child seat that fits your size.
In croatia compulsory child seats only apply up to the age of five years. But kids up to 13 years old have to sit on the back seat.