Children 12 years old and below who are shorter than 4'11'' are now prohibited from taking the front seat in private vehicles as the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act takes full effect tomorrow (Feb. 2).
The law was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte in Feb. 2019 but mandatory compliance only takes effect this year.
Children who do not meet the height requirement are required to use a child restraint system or a car seat.
"Child restraints in cars are intended to keep a child firmly secured in their seats so that in case of sudden braking or collision, the child would not be fatally thrown away against the car interior or ejected from the vehicle," said Land Transportation Office – Law Enforcement Service deputy director Robert Valera said.
The LTO, however, will not apprehend violators for at least the next three months as the agency embarks on an information dissemination campaign.
"The enforcement is not only about apprehension. It also covers information dissemination as well as warning. Instead of issuing an initially a show cause order, we will be on the warning mode as well as information dissemination," he said.
Drivers who will violate the prohibition will be fined P1,000 for the first offense; P2,000 for the second offense; and P3,000 and a one-year suspension of the driver's license for the third and succeeding offenses.