Vietnam prepares new child car seat rule as certification bodies lag

From 1 July, Vietnam will require children under 10 years old and under 1.35 m in height to use an approved child‑restraint system when travelling in private cars. The rule exempts passenger‑transport vehicles such as taxis, but many countries require ride‑hailing services to meet the same safety standards. Platforms like Grab, Gojek and Uber have introduced car‑seat options in markets such as Singapore, the United States and Australia.

In Vietnam, the deadline approaches without any organization authorized to certify child‑car seats under the new QCVN 123:2024/BGTVT technical standard. The Vehicle Registration Department (Cục Đăng kiểm) has asked the Ministry of Construction to issue guidance for local certification procedures, to publish a risk‑classification list for products, and to consider temporary certification by the Motor Vehicle Testing Center (VMTC). The agency also offered to carry out provisional certification for up to six months while a qualified certifying body is established. The lack of certified testing threatens the supply of compliant seats just as the new safety requirement takes effect.