Children aged 12 years and below will be prohibited from taking the front seat while traveling in a private motor vehicle starting Tuesday, February 2.

This is in line with the full implementation of the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act or the Child Car Seat Law, which requires the use of child restraint systems (CRS) or car seats on top of regular seat belts in private vehicles for child passengers who are 12 years old and below and are shorter than 4’11".

Land Transportation Office (LTO) Law Enforcement Service deputy director Roberto Valera said the CRS are intended to keep a child firmly secured in their seat. This will save children from injury or possible death in case of sudden braking or road crash.

Although the law will take effect this week, Valera said the enforcement agency will not apprehend or issue tickets to violators for the next three to six months. For the meantime, the LTO will focus on information dissemination.

"The enforcement is not only apprehension, it also covers information dissemination, as well as warnings. Instead of issuing tickets or show-cause orders for the violation, we will be in the warning mode as well as distribute information materials," Valera said.

Under the implementing rules and regulations of the law that President Duterte in February last year, violators shall be fined P1,000 for the first offense; P2,000 for the second offense, and P5,000 plus suspension of driver's license for at least a year for the third and succeeding offenses. 

Meanwhile, any manufacturer, distributor, importer, retailer, and seller found violating the law will also be slqpped with a fine of P50,000 to P100,000 for "each and every child restraint system manufactured, distributed, imported and/ or sold".

The LTO has also started training fitters and enforcers in line with the implementation of the new law, and will also be inspecting units of those who had acquired child seats for their vehicles.

"We will come up with a certificate that the car seat has been inspected and even though it was purchased prior to the effectivity of the law, it passes our inspection department so it will be allowed to be used," Valera said.

While public utility vehicles (PUVs) are not yet covered by the law, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said it will be conducting a feasibility study to determine if public transport will be required to adopt CRS use.