PUBLISHED : 19 Aug 2023 at 05:00
Parents are being told to equip their vehicles with seats and seatbelts suitable for young children now that a new law aimed at promoting child safety has taken effect.
Deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said the law on mandatory safety seats for children under six came into force on Aug 17 and offenders must pay a fine of up to 2,000 baht. However, public transport vehicles are exempted from this requirement.
Ms Rachada said if children under six years old do travel in vehicles without specially fitted child seats, drivers must not break the speed limit and stay in the left-most lane while the child must be seated in the back seat with a caregiver present. In pickup trucks, the child must be seated in the front passenger seat. If there is no caregiver, the child must be secured with a lap belt.
She said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has strongly urged parents to abide by the law as it is intended to minimise injuries suffered by children in the event of road accidents.