Asked about families with bigger children, LTO says: Use bigger cars
MANILA, Philippines (Updated 3:34 p.m.) — In order to comply with a new law barring children 12 years old and younger from sitting in the front seat of cars, families should simply get bigger cars, the Land Transportation Office claimed.
With the implementation of Republic Act No. 11229 or the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act starting Tuesday, February 2, children below 12 years of age are prohibited from taking the front seats in vehicles, while the driver is required to properly secure a child in a restraint system unless the child is at least 4.92 feet tall and can be secured by a regular belt.
Speaking in an interview aired over dzMM TeleRadyo, LTO Metro Manila chief Clarence Guinto said the new law is "for the protection of the children," calling on the public to comply with the new measure.
Asked about what families should do about bigger children who don't fit in the limited backseat of their vehicles, he said: "Siguro ma’am laki-lakihan mo ang sasakyan mo (Ma'am, I suppose you should get a bigger car.) We will take note of that."
"The circular was issued in May 2020. Surely they studied it. Us here at LTO, with our enforcers, we just enforce the law," he also said in mixed Filipino and English.
"Those who are older than 12 years old and but still short, they still have the capacity to react to a situation, while children 12 years old and below should really use a child restraining seat."
The LTO has already drawn backlash over its privatization of motor vehicle inspection centers and its new system required for car registration.
Later Monday, Guinto, a lawyer, issued an apology through the LTO's official social media channels.
"I am sorry for the confusion I have caused with my remark, which was made in jest. I realize now that it was inappropriate," he wrote.
"To clarify, if the child is above 4-foot-11, the child is exempted from using a child car seat under the law and may be secured using the regular seat belt," he also said.
Under the Car Seat Law, the mandatory use of child restraint systems only applies to children 12 years old or younger with a height of 4’11” and below.
Why does this matter?
- The LTO Memorandum Circular No. 2020-2185 dated May 2020 also requires that “all drivers and passengers of private and government vehicles must wear face masks at all times.” This is on top of the new requirement of a face shield, even when inside vehicles.
- In 2013, the Nielsen Global Survey of Automotive Demand study found that only 38% of Filipino households have one car, and some 16% have more than one.
- More recent data by the Japan International Cooperation Agency have shown that just 12% of households in the National Capital Region have access to private vehicles, while a staggering 78% of total daily trips rely on public transportation
- Against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, transportation options for workers required to report to work physically have already been scarce as it is.
- Latest
- Trending
