Vietnam to require child car seats from 2026

The regulation, part of the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety, applies to all passenger cars except those with only one row of seats.

Drivers must install and instruct passengers in the use of suitable child safety devices.

Violations will be subject to fines under Decree 168, which also covers transport companies that carry preschool and elementary school students.

Pham Viet Cuong, head of the Center for Injury Prevention and Policy Research at the Hanoi University of Public Health, said the rule would bring Vietnam closer to international standards.

“Nearly 100 countries require child restraints in private vehicles,” Cuong said, citing a 2023 World Health Organization report.

The law defines child safety devices as equipment designed to secure children and reduce injury in case of collision or sudden deceleration.

The National Traffic Safety Committee recommends infant carriers for children under two, child seats for those aged two to six, and booster cushions for older children.

Parents have begun preparing for the rule.

Hanoi resident Mai Tien Thanh said he bought a booster seat for his daughter for VND790,000 (US$30).

“Parents should set an example. If we follow traffic rules, children will learn to protect themselves,” he said.

Meanwhile, some drivers have raised concerns over implementation.

Ride-hailing driver L.D.H. in Hanoi said carrying extra seats for customers with children would be impractical.

“If I take a passenger with a child, I’ll need an extra seat,” he said.

“But after dropping them off, I have nowhere to store it to save space for new adult passengers. 

"What if the family has three kids?”

Tran Huu Minh, chief of staff at the National Traffic Safety Committee, said enforcement should start with private cars and be expanded gradually to commercial and public transport.

“Public transport vehicles operate at lower speeds and already have higher safety standards,” he said.

The committee has proposed a phased rollout for buses and taxis.

Cuong said studies show proper use of child restraints can reduce traffic deaths by up to 70 percent among infants and by 54 percent among young children.