Car Seats for Children Required Starting Feb. 2, Says LTO

Deputy director of the Law Enforcement Service of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) Robert Valera, through a virtual press conference that went live on Friday, January 29, 2021, talked about the implementation of the RA 11229 or Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act.

During the said virtual press conference which was hosted by Buckle Up Kids PH, it was bared that beginning Tuesday, February 2, 2021, as part of the mandatory compliance to the RA 11229, children aged twelve (12) years and below will be prohibited from taking the front seats in private vehicles. The mandatory use of child restraint systems (CRS) or car seats has also been mentioned.

“Sa February 2, ipatutupad na ang Republic Act 11229 o ang Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act sa Pilipinas. Ayon sa batas, ang mga batang edad 12 pababa na lulan ng pribadong sasakyan ay dapat: nakaupo (buckled up) sa child car seat, hindi nakaupo sa harap ng sasakyan, at palaging may kasamang magulang o adult,” stated the Buckle Up Kids PH on their virtual press conference Facebook post.

Related:

Strict Enforcement of the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act Postponed by DOTr

Penalties for Non-Compliance

Here are the following penalties with regards to non-compliance with the standards and proper utilization of the CRS as discussed by LTO’s Deputy director of the Law Enforcement Service, Robert Valera.

Drivers in Violation of Sections 4 & 5

• P1,000 for the first offense
• P2,000 for the second offense
• P5,000 and suspension of the driver’s license for a period of one (1) year for the third and succeeding offenses

Manufacturers, Distributors, Importers, Retailers, Sellers in Violation of Sections 6 & 7

• P50,000 to P100,000
  • For “each and every child restraint system manufactured, distributed, imported and/ or sold”

Drivers Who Allow Use of Substandard CRS

• P1,000 for first offense
• P3,000 for the second offense
• P5,000 and suspension of the driver’s license for a period of one (1) year for the third and succeeding offenses

Tampering, Alteration, Forgery and Imitation of the PS Mark Stickers in CRS

• P50,000 to P100,000
  • For “each and every child restraint system product”

“The enforcement is not only about apprehension by the way. It also covers information dissemination as well as warnings. Instead of issuing initially a TOP (temporary operator’s permit) for the violation or a show cause order, we will be on the warning mode as well as information dissemination,” Valera said.

Child Restraint System (CRS)

During the same press conference, Atty. Daphne Marcelo, Policy Associate of Imagine Law, a public interest law organization that develops and advocates for evidence-driven policy solutions, has further explained what CRS can do. Below is a photo from her presentation.

Watch the Full Virtual Press Conference

Here is the virtual press conference on RA 11229 or Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act which went live on the Buckle Up Kids PH Facebook page on Friday, January 29, 2021, for you to see further details about the law and the CRS.

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Source: Buckle Up Kids PH, The Official Gazette