HONG KONG – The Transport Department of Hong Kong on Tuesday reminded parents, guardians and private car drivers to choose and use a suitable child restraining device (CRD), such as a child safety seat, to enhance protection for children and passenger safety.

Following the passage of the Road Traffic (Safety Equipment) (Amendment) Regulation 2024, children under 8 must use child restraining devices from Nov 1 while traveling in private cars irrespective of whether they are sitting in the front or rear seats, unless they are 1.35 meters or taller.

A fixed HK$230 fine may be issued to any drivers failing to use safety seats or similar devices. In addition to the fixed penalty notices, police may refer serious cases to court, and a maximum fine of HK$2,000 may be imposed, according to the Transport Department.

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Apart from conventional types of child safety seats, other types of portable CRDs – such as seat belt adjusters, wearable safety restraint vests, and foldable boosters – are available in the market.

As portable CRDs do not have protective pads and seat backs on both sides, their protection capabilities in side-impact collisions are in general not as good as those of child safety seats, a Transport Department spokesman said on Tuesday.

“When choosing a CRD, parents, guardians or private car drivers carrying a child passenger should accord top priority to the height and/or weight range for which the product is suitable,” the spokesman said, adding that the devices must comply with relevant standards to reduce the risks of being killed or seriously injured in traffic accidents.

After a collision such as a traffic accident, the CRDs may show no visible signs of damage on the surface, but their internal structure may have been damaged, reducing their protective effectiveness, and they should not be used again, said the spokesman.

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Pointing out that while purchasing second-hand CRDs, it is difficult to guarantee that the product has not been hit, the spokesman advised people to ascertain whether the devices have been dropped or bumped if they choose to use one previously used by relatives or friends.