Up to What Height Is a Car Seat Required - and What Can Result in Penalty Points

If you travel by car with children, there are a few things worth knowing in advance. How can you ensure the safety of your passengers? What violations can result in fines for drivers in Poland? Below we discuss this in detail.

The main criterion is height, not age

Until recently, many parents used the child's age as the key indicator: previously in Poland, children over the age of 12 were permitted to travel without a car seat. The law has changed, and now the only criterion is height. A child of any age who has not yet reached 150 centimetres must be seated in a car seat or booster - regardless of how old they are. Even if a teenager is already 14 years old - if they are shorter than 150 centimetres, a car seat is mandatory.

The reasoning is as follows: standard seatbelts are designed for the proportions of an adult body. In a child who has not reached the threshold height, the belt runs across the neck and stomach rather than the shoulder and hip - and in the event of an accident becomes a source of serious injury rather than a means of protection.

Rules depending on the child's height

Height below 150 centimetres: the child must be transported exclusively in a car seat or booster appropriate to their height and weight, in accordance with the manufacturer's requirements. Both in the front and in the rear. In the front seat, only a forward-facing seat is permitted - or a rear-facing seat provided the passenger airbag is mandatorily deactivated.

Height above 135 centimetres and weight above 36 kg: the child may travel in the rear seat secured only by a seatbelt. This is formally permissible; however, road safety specialists strongly recommend retaining the booster until the child reaches a full 150 centimetres.

Height above 150 centimetres: the child is treated as an adult passenger - a seatbelt on any seat is sufficient.

When a car seat is not mandatory

Polish law provides for several situations in which the car seat requirement does not apply:

• three or more children are travelling in the car at the same time and there is insufficient space for a third seat - the third child (aged at least three years) may be transported secured by a seatbelt;
• a medical certificate from a doctor confirming that the use of a car seat is contraindicated for health reasons;
• travel in an officially registered taxi or Uber with a taxi licence - the child must be secured by a seatbelt and be at least three years old;
• an ambulance, police vehicle, border guard vehicle or bus.

Important: after any road traffic accident, the car seat must be replaced - even if it appears undamaged on the outside. The internal structure may be deformed, rendering the seat incapable of providing protection in a subsequent accident.

Fine and penalty points

Responsibility for the safe transportation of passengers lies with the driver. If a child is transported without a car seat or the seat is installed in a manner that does not comply with the manufacturer's requirements, the driver receives:

• a fine of PLN 300 - this amount has been in force since September 2022 and has not changed;
• penalty points: 5 points for one child, 10 points for two, 15 points for three or more.

The maximum penalty point limit is 24 for most drivers and 20 for those who have held a driving licence for less than a year. Several violations involving children can bring a driver noticeably close to this limit.

Advice from Gremi Personal

Tip 1: Check the seat before every journey A car seat installed without following the manufacturer's instructions is treated by the law in the same way as a complete absence of one - and results in the same fine. If the seat is secured via ISOFIX, check the click; if via belts - check the tension and position.

Tip 2: Do not confuse height with age Polish regulations are unambiguous: 150 centimetres is a physical threshold, not an age. A child who meets this criterion travels with the same rights as an adult passenger. One who does not - requires a seat regardless of how old they are.

Tip 3: A taxi or Uber is no reason to forget about safety The law exempts from the mandatory use of a car seat in an official taxi, but the child must be secured by a seatbelt and be at least three years old. If you regularly use a taxi with a child - bringing your own portable booster is a sensible solution.

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