My husband and I were wondering if we should buy a car seat, before we go to Italy? We want our daughter to be safe when travelling when she is in a car. She is 3 and half years old. of should we buy a booster seat there? if they use them at all?? we are not renting a car. just when we travel with relatives who do drive?


Thanks

Giorob

So you plan to buy a seat just in case you MAY need one? If you will be in your relatives' car, perhaps they can find a friend from whom to borrow a seat, or advise you on where to make a quick purchase once the occasion arises. it seems burdensome to haul around the seat waiting for just-in-case.

thanks ellenm

There was a somewhat-recent post here on Fodors re the EU standards for car seats and booster seats. They are somewhat different from the U.S., so you can't just take one of your U.S. (I assume) booster seats. I think the easiest thing for you to do is see if your relatives can borrow one for the time you'll be using their cars.

NO!!! BRING YOUR OWN. I rarely even see small children in boosters in Italy. Buy one of the cheap, backless (Graco, Cosco, etc.) ones for $20...check it with your luggage and know you have it if you need it. (and you can just leave it behind when you come home)

I can't recall...but I don't even think children over 3 are required to be in a booster in Italy (people looked t us like we were nuts when my son was that age and we had the booster with us!) The law is totally vague if I recall and requires carseats or SEATBELTS only if they "are available!" It is still not uncommon to see small children on parents LAPS in the FRONT seat (or on laps of parents on mopeds) Seriously. Bring your own. (not that you can't buy them there...you can...but they are cheaper in the US and it just saves time having it with you)

ok...was just told they have updated the law since my kid was that age (he's 8 now) and, children under 3 do need a booster -)!) BUT...I seriously don't see it enforced much and there are exceptions (i.e. the law states, "short trips" are ok (?) out of necessity and that it is ok in older cars without restraints (??!) so...I speak as someone with European relatives who think I am an always-worrying American ;-) just bring your own so you don't get into the "necessity" of it should your relatives not totally agree about the importance...even if you are just going "down the road."

Actually, they are. Here's one website that gives a brief overview of EU requirements. http://www.rsa.ie/childsafetyincars/...sh_leaflet.pdf.

And here's a summary, from an English website:

The new regulations say all children up to the age of 12 years and less than 4 feet 5 inches (135cm) tall must use appropriate EU approved car restraints. Age related regulations are as follows:

0-2 years Can travel in the front or back of a car only with a European Union safety approved child seat. The use of rear-facing restraints is prohibited where there is a front active air-bag.
3 years Must use a child restraint in the rear seats if the car has seat belts.
4-6 years Must use a booster seat suitable for their height
6-12 years up to a height of 4 ft 5 inches (135cm) Must use a booster cushion suitable for raising them to a height where the seatbelt crosses the correct part of their chest.

I think this EU directive became effective in 2006 - I researched it because we're taking our daughter to Italy later this year.

"0-2 years Can travel in the front"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"3 years Must use a child restraint in the rear seats if the car has seat belts."!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

this is what I mean. That is a JOKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"6-12 years...Must use a booster cushion"

hahahahahahahahahahaha I have never, ever, ever, ever seen a 12 year old in a booster seat in Italy!!! (or in the US for that matter) many 12 year old are driving scooters (joking ;-) ) really. just as crazy. a newborn can be in the front...but a 4ft+ 12year old should be in a booster? My 76 yr old neighbor isn't even that tall...maybe we should get here a booster for her little fiat.

anyway...seriously....there are so many loopholes in the Italian "law" that they seem to do as they please. (I'm not sure about all of Italy - we are in Campania most of the time).

We once arrived to pick up our rental car and found it had no seat belts all the back seats..and they tried to convince us we were crazy and kids don't NEED seat-belts in the back ;-) (obviously, an hour arguing later we got a different car)

I have been travelling with my son to Europe since he was 3 months old and we do so frequently...what I am saying is I don't give a HOOT what the official EU legalities ARE. The ATTITUDES in some parts of the world are different to those in the US and, in my experience, it is best to just bring your own to avoid conflict/arguments. Things get especially tough when there are relatives involved (mine are not Italian, BTW)- these laws are very new and not all people have not adjusted to them yet...better to just have one than have to deal with a situation where relatives don't think it is necessary.

I would also like to point out that we did have our son out of the booster in Italy before we did in the US; there have been many studies showing that the booster must be appropriate for the CAR as well as the CHILD - I have a huge kid...his feet were on the floor flat and knees at the end of the backseat and the seat belt in the correct position in our teeny-tiny rental cars in Italy. Had I put him in a booster in those particular vehicles, I would have been putting him at risk. 4ft 5, IMHO, is not an appropriate height for all countries in Europe - a child in a Smart Two Two and a child in a Range Rover should not be in the same boosters. (I brought documentation at the time to prove this and figured they could haul me off to court if they wished, but there was no way we would be driving in So. Italy in a way that would intentionally put my child at risk.) We were stopped, as usual, at the many, many random searches and were never questioned (although, like I said, he is very tall - they certainly had his passport though and knew his age).