With only four months left until enforcement begins, families are being urged to prepare.

Under the law, children under 10 years old and shorter than 1.35 meters will not be allowed to sit in the same row as the driver, except in vehicles with only one row of seats. Drivers must use or guide the use of age-appropriate safety devices for child passengers.

According to Associate Professor Dr. Pham Viet Cuong, Director of the Center for Injury Policy and Prevention Research at the Hanoi University of Public Health, using proper child restraints can reduce the risk of injury for back-seat children by 14% compared to the front seat. “When correctly used, child safety devices can reduce fatalities and serious injuries in traffic accidents by 70–90%,” he stated.

Dr. Cuong emphasized the critical role of such devices, especially for young children:

For children under 2 years old, rear-facing car beds are recommended. In the event of a collision, these distribute impact forces along the child’s back, minimizing injury  -  essential for such a fragile stage of development. Rear-facing seats reduce the risk of death or serious injury by up to 90% compared to unrestrained travel, and five times more than forward-facing setups.

Children aged 2–6 should use purpose-built child seats, the most common type, as this age group frequently travels with family.

From 6–8 years old, as children begin to outgrow traditional seats, booster seats become more appropriate. By 8–10 years, seat cushions may suffice, depending on the child's growth.

“Some models combine all four functions and can be used from age 1 to 10,” Dr. Cuong added. He cited recommendations from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, advising the use of child seats or boosters until the child is at least 145 cm tall.

Tran Huu Minh, Chief of Staff at the National Traffic Safety Committee, stressed that every car journey involving children under 10 and shorter than 1.35 meters must comply with the law. However, he proposed that enforcement be prioritized for private passenger vehicles  -  which often travel at highway speeds (up to 120 km/h) and frequently carry children  -  allowing families time to prepare.

Experts have also warned about the dangers of placing children in front seats. Airbags deploy at speeds up to 300 km/h, posing lethal risks to young passengers.

N. Huyen