Re: French law - Children in Front Seats


Max wrote:

The van has 3-point belts in the front and lap belts in the rear. The
child seat requires a 3-point fixing. French law states the child is to
be restrained by a purpose-built seat seat or by a 3-point seatbelt
(one assumes if they are on a booster cushion only). This is therefore
in the front seat in my case. However, French law also states no child
under 10 in the front. So, there is the potential for interpreting this
as conflicting laws.


My understanding of the way it is interpreted in France (only my
understanding of course ... I haven't tested this through the legal
system) is similar to what has been said by others in separate replies,
but which can be aggragated as ......

1: Children of any age should be in the rear
2: A small child should be in an 'approved' child seat
3: Child seat should be 3 point fastening
only if the above are not feasible/practicable (because seats are
otherwise occupied or can't be made to restrain the child safely [as in
no manufacturers approved method/facility to secure child seat
correctly), may a child be carried in the front seats, and then they
must be restrained in a manner that fits their physical size (i.e.
child seat).

Given that your van does not have a 3 point facility to secure the
child seat to the rear seats then you are OK to fit the child seat to
the front. (The child's safety is after all the driver for the rules...
and it is safer to have then in a secure seat designed for their size
than to have them insecurely restrained but in the rear.)

I would ensure I take a laminated card with me that states/explains, in
French (and the native language of wherever else you are travelling),
that the rear seats do not have the required manufacturers approved
fixing points but the front seat does. Then be prepared to display the
card to anyone that enquires. But to be honest, I doubt very much
that the French will bother you provided it is clear that you are using
a properly fitted child restraint. They are human after all, and the
gendarmes have far more important things to concern themselves with.
Now the town Polizei are a different matter
;-)


Ian

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