Until what age are children allowed to be transported? A child in the front seat - at what age can you drive under the new law?

Changes regarding the transportation of children in the front seat of a car were made to the traffic rules on July 12, 2017. The changes in this regard were significant. If previously a child under 12 years old could not be transported without a car seat, now this can be done, but with certain subtleties and conditions. From what age can you transport a child in the front seat in cars and trucks (including when it comes to a child in the front seat in a Gazelle), what are the nuances of transporting children without a car seat, wearing standard seat belts, we will look into article.

Let's talk about everything in order!

At what age can you transport a child in the front seat without a seat?

So, traffic rules regulate 3 age periods of children, each of which has its own transportation rules. The Rules also separate cars and trucks, and the front and rear rows of seats to indicate conditions of transportation.

To quickly answer the question of at what age can you transport a child in the front seat, we suggest taking a quick test specifically for your case of transporting children.

Can I carry a child in the front seat - quick test

1. Are you going to transport your child in a car or truck (including a Gazelle)?

On a passenger car On a truck

2. What is the age range of your child?

Less than 7 years 7-11 years 12 or more years

You can transport your child by fastening him with a standard seat belt.

Go through again

You can transport your child, but only in a car seat or other type of child restraint.

Go through again

Let's first give an excerpt from paragraph 22.9 of the traffic rules, and then in a convenient tabular form we will indicate what age and age a child can be transported in certain cars in a certain place. Just get ready, the quote from the traffic rules is quite long:

22.9. Transportation of children under 7 years of age in passenger car and the cabin of a truck, the design of which provides for seat belts or seat belts and a child restraint ISOFIX system*, must be carried out using child restraint systems (devices) corresponding to the weight and height of the child.
The name of the ISOFIX child restraint system is given in accordance with the Technical Regulations Customs Union TR RS 018/2011 "On the safety of wheeled vehicles."
Transportation of children aged 7 to 11 years (inclusive) in a passenger car and truck cab, which are designed with seat belts or seat belts and an ISOFIX child restraint system, must be carried out using child restraint systems (devices) that are appropriate for the weight and height of the child , or using seat belts, and in the front seat of a car - only with the use of child restraint systems (devices) corresponding to the weight and height of the child. The installation of child restraint systems (devices) in a passenger car and the cabin of a truck and the placement of children in them must be carried out in accordance with the operating instructions for the specified systems (devices). It is prohibited to transport children under the age of 12 on the back seat of a motorcycle.

The above rule is quite difficult to understand and may seem confusing to many. So let's make it easier to understand! In the table diagram below we provide a simple answer to the question whether children can be transported in certain vehicles in a child restraint system (CDU) or wearing standard seat belts, or whether they cannot be transported at all.

The horizontal rows of the table show the age of the child, the vertical columns show the type of car and the position of the child in the cabin (in front or behind) and then whether it is possible to transport him in a child restraint system or a car seat, or with a standard seat belt fastened or not.

As you can see, the main differences are only that in a truck a child can ride in the front seat with a seat belt fastened from the age of 7, while in a passenger car - only from the age of 12.

Is it possible to transport a child in the front seat of a Gazelle?

In the front seat of a Gazelle (canopy, van), where there is no back row of seats at all, sometimes it is also necessary to seat a child. Do I need a car seat for this or can I fasten it with a belt? After all, on the one hand, the Gazelle’s PTS indicates that this vehicle belongs to a truck, on the other hand, the car weighs less than 3.5 tons, and almost all traffic rules apply to the Gazelle as a passenger car!

The answer to this question is clear. Traffic regulations clearly do not distinguish between trucks and passenger cars in the context of their curb weight of up to 3.5 tons or more. There are requirements either for the weight of the car or for its type. In paragraph 22.9 of the traffic rules, trucks are specified, therefore the Gazelle in the context of this paragraph refers specifically to trucks.

This means that a child can be transported in the Gazelle in the front seat with a seat belt fastened if he is over 7 years old. Moreover, regardless of whether the Gazelle has a rear row of seats (“Farmer” or passenger version) or not.

How will a traffic police inspector determine whether a child is 7 years old or not?

Proof of the child’s age lies with neither of the two persons opposing at a certain point in time: the driver and the traffic police officer. And this, one might say, is in the legislation.

The fact is that the traffic rules clearly stipulate that the driver must submit for inspection to the traffic police inspector: driver’s license, STS, compulsory motor liability insurance and other documents in certain cases. There is no birth certificate or other supporting document among them.

If the inspector still demands evidence and tells you that in any case he will issue a fine for an unbelted child, and you then prove whether he has reached 7 years of age or not, then in this case he is wrong. The driver is not obliged to prove his innocence, and any doubts about the innocence of the driver involved should be interpreted in favor of this driver (clauses 3 and 4 of Article 1.5 of the Administrative Code).

What is the fine for an unbelted child?

The Administrative Code does not distinguish a specific violation, of which there may be several of the provisions of the above paragraph 22.9 of the traffic rules. A child may be transported in violation of:

• unfastened seat belt,
• under the age of 7 years in the back seat of a car, wearing a seat belt, while he should be in a child restraint system,
• under the age of 12 years, and in a truck up to 7 years old in the front seat, fastened with a belt, as it should be in a child restraint system,
• up to 12 years old on a motorcycle.

The Code of Administrative Offenses simply has one single article that provides for a fine for any violation of the rules for transporting children:

Article 12.23
3. Violation of the requirements for the transportation of children established by the Traffic Rules entails the imposition of an administrative fine on the driver in the amount of three thousand rubles; for officials - twenty-five thousand rubles; on legal entities- one hundred thousand rubles.

There is no provision for deprivation of rights and evacuation of the car to an impound lot for violations of the transportation of children.

Can an inspector prohibit further movement after a fine?

The functions of the traffic police are entrusted with ensuring road safety, including the suppression and prevention of violations. And now a situation where you were stopped by a traffic police officer with a child under 12 years old in the front seat, and you were driving in a passenger car, and issued a fine for the violation. Logically, he should prohibit you from further movement, because you do not have a car seat or other type of child restraint device, and accordingly, if he lets you go, he will commit a further violation.

By the way, there are no prohibitions on operation, as well as a day or any other time to eliminate violations in the traffic legislation for 2017. However, any procedural actions, including prohibition of further movement, detention of a vehicle and others, are expressly prescribed in the administrative code with certain grounds. If something is not spelled out, then the traffic police inspector cannot create a “gag” - Article 6 of the Federal Law “On Police” directly prohibits him from doing so:

Article 6. Legality.
1. The police carry out their activities in strict accordance with the law.
2. Any restriction of the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of citizens, as well as the rights and legitimate interests of public associations, organizations and officials permissible only on the grounds and in the manner provided for by federal law.

In this case, no Russian federal law stipulates the obligation or even the ability of the inspector to stop the violation by sending the driver to purchase a car seat and only on this condition releasing him to further movement.

However, it is pointless to argue about the safety of child seats, comparing them with a child wearing a regular seat belt, and it is completely pointless to justify yourself by driving carefully - you are not alone on the road and cannot influence other drivers. A high-quality car seat costs as much as two or three fines for not having one. But most importantly, always remember, no matter how rude and cynical it may sound, that the cost of a child’s coffin is always higher than the price of a good certified car seat. Think about it! Especially if you make excuses for transporting a child “just once,” because children are also buried only once.

Today's traffic regulations clearly regulate the procedure for transporting children in a car. Everyone knows that driving with a child without the use of special restraints is prohibited by law and is punishable by a fine. For children without a seat in the car, the driver will have to pay a certain amount. These restrictions apply to the transportation of children under twelve years of age. Persons over this age are allowed to ride in a car, wearing a regular seat belt, like adult passengers.

Why can you be fined for driving with a child?

A fine for children without a seat transported in a car is a well-deserved punishment for the offender. Any vehicle on the road is a source of increased danger. At the same time, at the legislative level there is no clear explanation of the concept of “restraining devices”. An important criterion in the selection of appropriate devices for the safety of small passengers is their compliance with the height and weight of the child.

It is fundamentally important that while the vehicle is moving, the baby is seated in a restraint device - a chair. A fine for children without it is the minimum measure of influence on a driver who neglects the safety rules of his own passengers.

Fine if you have a car seat: is it possible?

Some violators try to find an explanation for their illegal actions in the absence of special fasteners for car seats. However, for traffic police officers, this circumstance cannot serve as an excuse for violating the Traffic Rules.

By the way, anyone who paid a fine for a child without a seat should also know that an administrative penalty is also imposed in the event of an incorrect installation of the restraint device. The competence of the traffic police officer also includes drawing up a report on the offender if the device for safe transportation does not correspond to the age and height of the young passenger.

What is a child restraint device?

Before you understand in what specific cases a driver faces a fine for children without a seat, it is necessary to decipher what a child restraint device (CDU) is. By referring to the system of state standards GOST R 41.44, you can find out the following: A child restraint system is a system for restraining a child using special straps, buckles, flexible elements, fasteners and adjusting devices, and in some cases, approved by the Traffic Rules, additional devices (removable car seats, cradles for infants, booster seats, etc.). These devices are mounted inside the car and are designed in such a way that in case of an emergency on the road, sudden braking or collision, the risk of injury to the child is minimized by fixing and reducing the mobility of his body.

Categories of car seats for children with different body weights

Shortly before changes were made to the traffic rules, there were disputes and discussions among residents of Russian roads about the possible abolition of the fine for transporting children without a seat. Instead of lifting this restriction, the legislator clearly stated in legal act division of restraint devices into several categories:

1. For newborns and children up to 12 months (with a body weight of up to 10 kg), you should purchase car seats of the zero group.
2. For infants whose weight has not yet reached 13 kg, group “0+” chairs are recommended.
3. For children weighing from 9 to 18 kg, the optimal restraint device from group “1” is selected.
4. Parents need to purchase a group “2” car seat for a child whose weight ranges from 15 to 25 kg.
5. For children whose weight does not exceed 36 kg, use a device of group “3”.

Having children inside a car while driving can not only be dangerous to their health. Thus, numerous crash tests have led to the conclusion that the transportation of infants without seats of groups “0” and “0+” is unacceptable due to the high probability of causing injuries incompatible with life in the event of any traffic accident.

How much will you have to pay for violating the requirements for transporting a child?

At the same time, the amount of the fine for a child without a seat cannot be called too severe a punishment for a driver who violates traffic rules. This administrative penalty probably has a different goal - to strike a “preemptive strike” on the attacker’s wallet. In addition, the size of the fine for children without a seat differs significantly for individual violators and carrier organizations. In accordance with the norms of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation (clause 3 of Article 12.23), failure to comply with traffic rules within the framework of the requirements for driving with a child under 12 years of age is grounds for a monetary penalty from the driver in the amount of 3,000 rubles. An official for a similar offense will be charged with a fine of 25 thousand rubles, and for the carrier organization the amount of the penalty will increase four times.

Will there be a fine for a seven year old child without a seat?

It is also worth paying attention to another fundamental important point. Children under seven years of age may only ride in a car if they have an appropriate restraint system.

With the introduction of amendments to the traffic rules at the beginning of this year, the obligation to equip the passenger seat of a child from 7 to 12 years old with a car seat was partially leveled. So, when transporting in a non-rear seat, children only need to fasten with standard seat belts. At this age, a child has the right to ride in the front seat next to the driver, but only if a child restraint is used.

Circumstances for imposing a monetary penalty on the driver

An important criterion for imposing an administrative penalty are the circumstances in which a fine can be legally imposed for transporting children without a seat. The traffic police gives a detailed explanation of cases in which the offender cannot avoid punishment. A fine is imposed if:

• the child sits in the arms of other passengers (even while wearing a seat belt);
• the baby’s body weight visually exceeds the permissible limits for using a car seat for the corresponding age group;
• a young passenger is sitting in a restraint device, but the safety of transportation is not ensured by the driver (belts are not fastened);
• two children sit in one car seat;
• in the vehicle interior, in the rear and/or front seats, there are no seat belts provided by the standard design of the vehicle.

It is worth noting that when a child reaches 7 years of age, the absence of standard seat belts in the rear seats does not allow transportation. If there are belts only in the front passenger seat, then the child can be transported in the front, but in a car seat.

How to avoid being fined again?

For transporting children in a car without a restraint device monetary recovery may be prescribed more than once. For example, a violating driver was stopped at one of the traffic police checkpoints and issued a fine for driving with a child without a child seat, and after some time he was stopped again by an inspector - the violator cannot avoid drawing up a report again.

Based judicial practice, virtually no one was able to appeal the imposition of an administrative penalty for the unsafe transportation of children in a car. In addition, the risk that children are exposed to while riding in a car is not comparable to the cost of a car seat. Instead of paying fines in the amount of 3,000 rubles, it is more advisable to purchase an inexpensive restraint device, which will not only save your budget, but most importantly, increase the level of safety of life and health of a child in the car.

Children will be banned from being transported on old school buses

On January 1, 2017, the Resolution “On Amendments to Certain Acts of the Government” comes into force Russian Federation in terms of improving the rules for the organized transportation of groups of children by bus.”

According to the document, from January 1, 2017, only a bus that is no more than 10 years old can be used for organized transportation of a group of children. It must match technical requirements for the carriage of passengers, is equipped in the prescribed manner with a tachograph, as well as GLONASS satellite navigation equipment. Thus, in 2017, transporting children over 10 years of age on buses will be prohibited.

Prohibition of installing a child seat in the front seat

The rules for transporting children in cars will also change.

“From January 1, children under seven years old will only be able to ride in the back seat; the car seat will have to strictly correspond to the weight and height of the small passenger,” Daily Motor reports.

It is planned that from January 1, 2017, new clauses will appear in the traffic rules - children under seven years of age must be transported exclusively in a restraint device.

In addition, car enthusiasts have always had a question: is it possible to set Baby chair in the front seat? There were no prohibitions on this in the traffic rules. But now the child seat can only be installed in the back seat. The device will have to match the child's parameters.

The new rules will require children under 7 years of age to be transported in a restraint device. However, if you transport a child in the front seat, then passengers under 12 years of age will also need a special device.

According to the new rules, drivers must only use car seats. Any other devices have shown to be ineffective in reducing the risk of injury to a child in an accident. Violators of the law will pay three thousand rubles.

They will also introduce monetary penalties for leaving a child in a car. The fine will be 500 rubles.

Fines and deprivation of rights for lack of maintenance

On October 26, 2016, the State Duma received a draft law on technical inspection. According to the amendments, from January 1, 2017, a fine for the lack of technical inspection for owners of all vehicles may come into force in Russia. Repeated violations will result in deprivation of rights.

The draft was submitted to the State Duma for consideration federal law No. 13843-7 “On amendments to certain legislative acts of the Russian Federation regarding the organization of technical inspection of vehicles.” The bill was prepared by Federation Council member Viktor Ozerov.

According to the bill, the fine for lack of technical inspection will range from 500 to 800 rubles. In addition to a fine, the driver faces a ban on operating a vehicle that has not passed the technical inspection or received a negative conclusion on compliance with safety standards. Repeated violation may result in a fine of 5 thousand rubles or deprivation of rights for a period of 1 to 3 months.

Currently, only drivers of passenger taxis, buses, trucks intended for transporting people, and specialized vehicles intended for transporting dangerous goods are fined for lack of technical inspection.

Deprivation of rights for tinted windows

State Duma deputies again returned to considering a bill to toughen penalties for tinting car windows.

As the law states, drivers will face a serious increase in fines for repeated violations, and they want to deprive those who are particularly arrogant of their license. The amendments are planned to be considered by the end of this year, and they could come into force as early as 2017.

Nowadays, tinting is a very humane punishment. If you are caught by a traffic police inspector, then all you have to do is either remove the film or agree to a fine of 500 rubles.

What will change with the adoption of the bill? Firstly, there will be an uncontested fine of 500 rubles. Now you can’t just tear off the film and leave. For a repeated violation, you will be fined 5 thousand rubles. Those who are especially slow-witted are proposed to be deprived of their driver’s license for a period of two to six months.