According to the Road Traffic Safety Law, from January 1, 2026, drivers must use or guide the use of suitable safety devices for children under 10 years old and under 1.35m in height when sitting in a car. Violations will be fined VND800,000–1,000,000.

The issue has attracted significant public attention, but according to VietNamNet findings, many people may be misunderstanding the regulation.

The National Technical Regulation QCVN 123:2024/BGTVT, attached to the Ministry of Transport’s Circular 48/2024/TT-BGTVT, explains that a child safety device is equipment capable of ensuring safety for a child in a sitting or lying position in a car. It is designed to reduce the risk of injury in the event of a collision or sudden deceleration by limiting the movement of the child’s body.

This equipment includes seat components, harnesses, safety locks, adjusters, anchorage points (ISOFIX), and other accessories such as cradles or impact shields, and must be firmly installable in a car.

According to the National Traffic Safety Committee, Pham Viet Cuong, Director of the Center for Policy Research and Injury Prevention, Hanoi University of Public Health, said child safety devices in cars may include several specific types: infant cradles (usually for children under 2), small child seats (for children 2–6 years old), and booster seats or booster cushions (for children 6–10 years old).

This means a “child seat” is only one of several suitable safety devices for children in cars, and the Law does not specify that the suitable device must be a child seat.

QCVN 123:2024/BGTVT also states general requirements for child safety devices: they must be suitable for installation in cars, have no sharp edges or protrusions that may damage clothing or seat covers, and no hard parts that can wear the harness at contact points. The device should only be removable using specialized tools to avoid incorrect installation and misuse.

Classification of child safety devices

A key part of the regulation is classifying devices based on the child’s weight, instead of estimating by age as many parents commonly do.

According to the regulation, child safety devices are divided into 5 main weight groups:

Group 0: For infants up to about 6–9 months old, under 10kg. These devices are typically carrycots or shell-style seats that must face backward to protect the head and neck.

Group 0+: For children up to about 12–15 months old, under 13kg, still using rear-facing carrycots.

Group I: For children from 9–18kg, about 1–4 years old. These seats face forward and have an integrated 5-point harness securing the shoulders, hips, and between the legs to prevent sliding during sudden braking.

Group II: For children from 15–25kg, about 4–7 years old. These are usually high-back booster seats. The built-in 5-point harness may be removed, and the child instead uses the car’s 3-point seat belt to secure both seat and child.

Group III: For children 22–36kg, about 6–10 years old but not yet 1.35m tall. The common device is a backless booster cushion, which raises the child so the seat belt crosses the pelvis and shoulder correctly, preventing the belt from pressing into the stomach or neck.

Installation rules and safety notes

QCVN 123:2024/BGTVT includes not only quality standards but also usage guidance. A certified device becomes ineffective if installed incorrectly. There are two popular installation methods: ISOFIX and the car’s seat belt system.

ISOFIX uses metal anchors attached directly to the car seat frame. This is an international standard widely used in Europe and accepted in QCVN 123:2024/BGTVT. The regulation encourages devices using ISOFIX anchors to minimize incorrect installation compared to using seat belts.

The regulation also clearly states that child seats must not be installed in the front passenger seat. If the front airbag is not deactivated, its deployment force can cause severe head injury or death to the child.

Additionally, each certified device must have a permanent label showing the child’s weight and height range, installation direction, and safety warnings. If a device lacks labels, warnings, or installation instructions, it may not meet technical standards.

In the market, because car seats are expensive, many parents turn to secondhand listings. Experts warn that child seats have a lifespan of 6–8 years due to plastic degradation. More importantly, buyers cannot know whether the seat has been in a crash, which can compromise its internal structure and protective capacity.

Vu Diep