When driving, it is recommended to position your baby correctly in their car seat. Moreover, the law strictly regulates this installation.
From the first car journeys, a toddler must be installed in an approved car seat, strapped in and positioned rearward facing. It’s an obligation. It can be placed at the rear or at the front of the vehicle, provided it remains facing the opposite direction of travel. If you opt for the passenger seat, be sure to turn off the airbag to avoid any danger. But when can you consider returning your car seat?
Until what age should a child be seated rear-facing?
Until recently, road safety rules for children were not always easy for parents to understand. But since September 1, 2024, new regulations have applied in France, but also in Europe: the ECE-R129 standard, also called “i-Size”. It replaces the old system based on the child’s weight with a more concrete criterion: their height, as with clothing. From now on, a child must travel rearward facing until the age of at least 15 months, provided that he or she is at least 76 cm tall. Previously, the limit was set at 9 kg, a weight that some babies reached from the age of 6 months. For the authorities, after 15 months, if your child is seated and feels comfortable in this position, it is subsequently possible to install him in a bucket seat equipped with a harness or in a car seat with a protective tablet. This seat is suitable for up to one meter and can be installed at the rear of the vehicle, facing the road.
Even if the standard imposes a minimum age of 15 months, experts like Sécurange, specialized in the safety of car seats for babies, recommend extending this position for up to 4 years. According to them, traveling rearward facing would be five times safer in the event of an impact at 50 km/h. “Even if they are able to hold their head and stay seated early, it is only around 4 years of age that the neck becomes robust enough to better withstand the violence of an impact,” they explain on their site.
Later, your child can move to the booster seat. “The child’s size and build require him to be placed in a booster seat with a backrest until he is 10 years old. A seat can be approved for several weight groups (approximately 15 to 25 kg and 22 to 36 kg) or sizes“, reminds the Road Safety website. Note that if the parent does not respect this obligation, he or she may be penalized with a fixed fine of 135 euros, which can be increased up to 750 euros.
Why should you put your child facing backwards in the car?
If pediatricians and road safety specialists recommend placing your baby rearward facing, it is no coincidence. At birth, his muscles are not yet formed and his neck is far too fragile to withstand a frontal impact. In the event of an accident, this position protects your head, neck and spine much better. This is why the car seat must be oriented rearward facing, preferably at the back of the car. Remember that the child must be placed in a semi-recumbent position and held in place by the vehicle’s 3-point seat belts.
