The Cordillera office of the Land Transportation Office (LTO-CAR) announced that it will be strictly enforcing the pertinent provisions of Republic Act (RA) 11229 or the Child Restraint law to ensure the protection of child passengers when traveling inside and outside the region.
However, LTO-Car regional director Francis Ray Almora disclosed that initially, the implementation of the said law will be done on motorists who have child passengers on board their vehicles, thus, they must ensure that their vehicles have the necessary and prescribed child restraint system for their child passengers.
He claimed that deputized personnel of the LTO-CAR have already undergone the required trainings for the implementation of the child restraint law that will guarantee the safety and protection of the children when traveling with their adult companions.
Under the said law, unlawful for the driver of a covered vehicle not to properly secure at all times a child, in a child restraint system while the engine is running or transporting such child on any road, street or highway unless the child is at least 150 centimeters or 59 inches in height and is properly secured using the regular seat belt. The child restraint system shall be appropriate to the child’s age, height and weight, and approved in accordance with Section 6 of this Act. The requirements of this section shall not apply to circumstances where the child restraint system would put such a child in a greater danger, such as: During medical emergencies; When the child transported has a medical or developmental condition; or Other analogous circumstances prescribed under the implementing rules and regulations (IRR).
Further, notwithstanding the child being secured in a child restraint system, at no instance shall such child be left unaccompanied by an adult in a motor vehicle.
The law stipulated that no child 12 years and below of age shall be allowed to sit in a front seat of a motor vehicle with a running engine or while such child is being transported on any road, street or highway, unless the child meets the height requirement set forth in Section 4 of this Act and is properly secured using the regular seat belt in the front seat.
Any driver under the law of this Act shall be fined P1,000.00 for the first offense; P2,000.00 for the second offense; P5,000.00 and suspension of the drivers license for a period of 1 year for the third and succeeding offenses.
Moreover, any manufacturer, distributor, importer, retailer, and seller who violates Sections 6 and 7 of this Act shall be punished with a fine of not less than P50,000.00 but not more thanP,000.00 for each and every child restraint system product manufactured, distributed, imported and/or sold, without prejudice to other penalties imposed under Republic Act No. 7394 or the “Consumer Act of the Philippines.”
On the other hand, any driver who allows the use of substandard and/or expired child restraint system or permits the use of child restraint system that does not bear the PS mark or the ICC sticker and certificate, shall be fined 1,000.00 for the first offense; P3,000.00 for the second offense; and P5,000.00 and the suspension of the driver’s license for a period of 1 year for the third and succeeding offenses.
Lastly, tampering, alteration, forgery and imitation of the PS mark or the ICC stickers in the child restraint system shall be punished with a fine of not less than 50,000.00 but not more than 100,000.00, for each and every child restraint system product, without prejudice to other penalties imposed in Republic Act No. 7394 or the “Consumer Act of the Philippines”: Provided, That the DOTR is hereby empowered, after publication, to increase or adjust the amounts of the fines prescribed in this section once every 5 years in the amount not exceeding ten per centum 10 percent of existing rates.
