Car baby-seat tips as new UAE safety laws come

There was a recent announcement from the UAE Ministry of Interior regarding installing children’s car seats, which supposedly makes it mandatory that children should use baby-seats in a car. While the details of that are still a bit vague, it will likely become an offence to carry kids on your lap for use as human airbags. Babies “R” Us, a division of, Toys “R” Us, sent us some guidelines for parents to help them find the right car seat for their child.

According to certain safety regulations, children, who are less than one year old, must be seated in a child car-seat. For children 6-9 months old, or those weighing under 10 kg, seats must face the rear of the car. Seats can face forward for children from nine months to four years of age and weighing 9 kg to 18 kg. Seat boosters can be used for children four years to six years of age and weighing 15 kg to 25 kg. Support cushions can be used for children six years to 11 years and weighing 22 kg to 36 kg.

The following safety checklist can help parents while buying car seats for their children.

• It is the weight of the child and not the age that is the determining factor when purchasing or using a car seat.
• You need to take into account the type of car you drive as not all car seats fit into all vehicles.
• Parents must check that the child’s harness is tightly adjusted on every trip, ensuring only the thickness of two fingers can be inserted between the harness and the child’s chest.
• Never under any circumstances use any child seat on a front passenger seat fitted with an airbag, unless it can be turned off, which is the case with most modern cars.
• Never use a seat which has been involved in an accident.
• Never use a second-hand seat – it may be damaged.
• Never modify the baby-seat in any way.
• Never fit a child’s safety seat with anything other than a car seat belt, Isofix anchors or a manufacturer-approved fitting kit.

Babies “R” Us mentions brands such as Bruin, Fisher Price, Maxi-Cosi, Graco, Maclaren, Peg Perego amongst others as meeting the most stringent safety requirements worldwide, which they also happen to sell.

For a list of the various types of car child-seats for various age groups, re-visit our previous story on child seats.