Can't seem to find any authoritative advice on kids in cars whilst driving in France.

Google throws up various bits and pieces, best of which is this from the AA

A child between 9 and 18kg must be seated in a child seat and a child from 15kg up to 10 years can use a booster seat with a seat belt or a harness

Its the use of CAN which is bothering me…

So, my read
– below 15kg it has to be a child seat
– upto 18kg they must have some form of child seat, but it could be a booster seat, if over 15kg
– over 10yrs – nothing required??
– over 18kg – nothing required??

Anyone live / drive in France and know?

We do drive in France (and some other countries on the continent) a lot, but I am not sure on the rules in France.

I do know that the child seat categories all overlap by a few kilos so you have a period to change your child over. Most baby rearward facing seats go upto 13 kg, most forward facing child seats cover 9-18 kg and most boosters/high back boosters are from 15 kg, altough they recommend you do not use a booster without a back for childeren under 6.

I believe however that you should always use the best/safest car seat for your child. My children are 7 and 9 and both still in high backed boosters (Maxi Cosi). We all survived a (for the other party fatal) car crash and the childrens child seats saved their lives. My 3 year old at the time was in a high backed booster. Eventhough just a booster would have been legal, he probably would not have survived (according to the police at the scene). Better safe than sorry me thinks!

Simone

Thanks. We're flying then hiring, so not as easy as taking our own car across with all the normal stuff in it.

Kids are 8 and 10, but both are fairly tall, so we were wondering whether we would need to take / hire booster seats.

If you're hiring in France, then the hire company will provide a seat suitable for the child that meets the legal requirements for France. They might even have to by law. < I'd have thought>.

Thr french are crap drivers, stink of garlic and poo standing up.

Are you really going to care what they have to say on child welfare….?

I can poo standing up? Is that like weeing standing up? How convenient. How did I get to this age without being advised of this before?! I will have a go in a minute and report back.

No idea about car seats though I'm afraid.

Loddrick,

I think you'll find the French have a lot to say on child welfare, and some of it spot on.

IMO the French have got it SO much "righter" in so many ways from proper holidays and parental leave to having proper lunches, from being a lot tighter as families to laughing at the Yanks.

We Brits slave at work too much, can't drink sensibly and make cr4p wine. We are also too fat – The French are far slimmer as a nation.

Thr french are crap drivers, stink of garlic and poo standing up.

I am so so very tempted but so much…