Car Seats in India: The Law, Fitting and Choosing One

Amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act require children under fourteen to use appropriate safety restraints. Enforcement varies considerably across states, but the physics does not — an unrestrained child in a crash is at serious risk regardless of local policing.

Treat the seat as essential equipment rather than an optional accessory.

Rear-facing spreads crash forces across the whole back and supports the head and neck, which is exactly what a baby's proportions need. Safety bodies consistently advise keeping children rear-facing to the maximum weight or height the seat allows.

Turning a child forward-facing early is a common and avoidable step down in protection.

Read your car's manual and the seat's manual together. Check whether your car has ISOFIX anchor points — they make a secure fit far easier than a seatbelt installation.

Once fitted, grip the seat at the belt path and pull firmly. It should not move more than about an inch in any direction. A seat that shifts is not correctly installed.

The harness should be snug enough that you cannot pinch a horizontal fold of webbing at the shoulder. The chest clip, where fitted, sits at armpit height.

Bulky winter jackets compress in a crash and leave the harness dangerously loose. Strap your child in first, then put the coat or a blanket over the top.

Car seats have expiry dates, and a seat involved in a crash should be replaced even if it looks fine. With a used seat you rarely know its history.

Buy new where you possibly can, keep the manual, and note the expiry date printed on the shell.