Child Safety Seats for Children 13 and Under Become Mandatory by Law

The government decided that starting as early as next year, children 13 and under must be seated in safety seats and secured by other protective devices if riding in the front seat, and children riding bicycles must wear safety headgear.

The Safety Maintenance Improvement Group of the Prime Minster`s office announced on November 2 a comprehensive children`s traffic safety plan in light of its stated goal to reduce the number of traffic accident related deaths of children from the current 5.8 children out of 100,000 to 3 children by 2006, the average number for advanced industrialized countries.

Currently, children under 6 years of age are required to use safety seats regardless of whether using the front or back seats.

``In advanced industrialized countries, any vehicle carrying children is required to use safety devices. In our case, we have decided to push for revising road traffic laws and other related laws in order to require all children using front seats to use safety devices.`` said one group member.

The government is asking automobile manufacturers to build and provide children`s safety seats and local authorities have decided to make loans available for the seats.

Furthermore, the government has decided to require that only people who have gone through driver`s safety education can drive children`s school buses, make teacher and other adult guardian presence on the vehicles mandatory, and to put in place traffic safety education in kindergarten and elementary schools.

Also, the government decision will expand the principal school hour to include the travel time in which the Green Mothers Organization and other organizations are active in guiding traffic and strengthen the role and authority of traffic regulations within the regular scope of things.

klimt@donga.com