Rules for Driving with Children and Pets!

In Korea, everyone should wear a seat belt when driving. Failure to observe the seat belt regulations can be penalized with a fine. In particular, the stricter regulation applies to children or pets.

When there is a car accident, it is highly likely that children or pets can be more injured than adults. For instance, if the belt is too loose, children and pets can be thrown from the car. If the belt is too tight, the belt can wrap around the neck of children and pet, making them hard to breathe. Therefore, it is important to install the safety equipments like car-seats in car, if you have a child or a pet.

Today, we will learn about the car-seat regulations for children and pets that are enacted to minimize injuries from car accident.

 

<Children>

Children under the age of six must be seated in a car-seat. If not, the driver should pay a fine of 60,000 KRW. Furthermore, the driver should also pay a fine of 60,000 KRW, if children under the age of 13 are not wearing a seat belt. There are various car-seats available for purchase depending on the child’s age. Basket-types and rear-facing car seats are recommended for babies between one month and 24 months, and forward-facing convertible car-seats are recommended for children between 24 months and 48 months. Finally, children over 36 months old are recommend to use booster seats. However, it is important to remember that in order to use the booster seat, the child must be taller than 145cm.

<Pets>

When driving with your pet, you should not allow your pet to put its face out of the window. In addition, the driver must not drive with a pet in the driver’s lap or let the pet seated on the passenger’s seat without any safety guard. If violating, the driver must pay a fine of 200,000 KRW. In order to make your pet feels safe and comfortable, you should train your pet to become familiar with car seat. It is also a good idea to feed the pet at least 3 hours before getting in the vehicle to prevent motion sickness. If your pet seems stressed out while traveling, stop the car and take breaks. Most importantly, don’t leave your pet alone in the vehicle as it may become a traumatic experience for your pet!