A child traveling in a motorhome - legal requirements

It is during the few winter months that many caraving enthusiasts start preparing their holiday trips. Massive gathering and replenishment of equipment, marking out possible routes and stopping places - all this keeps us awake at night for a long time. Every year, many families go on a holiday trip with their little ones, which causes an avalanche of questions regarding both the equipment and the regulations regulating this very important issue.

What do the regulations say?

When going on a vacation trip in a motorhome with the whole family , we must first read the regulations of the countries we plan to visit. Speed limits, official formalities, rates for traveling on toll road sections - these are, next to the paragraphs regulating the conditions of transporting children, the most important information for drivers. In the entire European Union and most other countries, the law is quite restrictive on this subject. The youngest must travel in child seats adapted to their weight and height . The child must ride in a suitable car seat until the age of twelve or up to 150 cm tall .

In practice?

This, of course, is also reflected in everyday life. Seat belts installed in passenger cars and motorhomes are adapted to adults . In an emergency, the seat belts could be dangerous for a small child . For this reason, the choice of a seat is such an important issue. Too big will not guarantee a stable support in turns or in an accident. Too small will cause discomfort.

The car seat market is very extensive, which makes it difficult to choose the highest quality product. When it comes to child safety, it is never worth saving money. As independent tests show - low-end car seats do not fulfill their task - they move and even break under the influence of sudden overloads. The very installation of the seat in the car is also very important. When placing a child in the front seat, remember that it should travel forward facing, some motorhome manufacturers recommend disabling the passenger's airbag . Nevertheless, the best place to install the seat is the rear seat. Attach the seat to the sofa strictly according to the manufacturer's instructions , slight deviations may cause the seat to move or even fall out of the child.