Parents face child car seat minefield as they rush to abide by new law

New legislation that makes it law for a child to be buckled up in the back have led to difficulties for parents looking to get the right seat to ensure their child’s safety.

Choosing the right child car seat is proving to be a challenge for parents looking to stay on the right side of the law.

The new rules have led to difficulties for parents looking to get the right seat to ensure their child’s safety, especially as prices range from as low as Dh85 to as much as Dh3,000.

“I don’t know which one to buy. It’s so confusing as each shop displays different brands and each seat has different qualifications and I’m not sure if the one that’s priced at Dh200 is similar to the Dh1,000 one,” said Malek Jawad, a 37-year-old Egyptian father of two.

“I didn’t use a car seat before as my children used to sit in the back with their mother. I have a 3-year-old son and a 5-year-old daughter and I can’t buy only one as my daughter will be jealous of her brother, so I’m planning to buy two and it needs a separate budget as the prices are not cheap.”

Omar Al Darabkeh, a 31-year-old Jordanian father of a two-year-old girl, said that the safety of their children is parents’ number one priority.

“Car seats are very important to protect children on the road. I bought the car seat when she was born and now we need to find another one that suits her age,” said Mr Al Darabkeh.

“Monitoring cars on the road is a step towards helping enforcing the law. It could encourage more people to follow [the rules] and fine those who don’t. [The law] is a great step that will save many lives.”