Does carrying one extra child count as overloading?
2 Answers
Carrying one extra child does count as overloading. Here is relevant information about overloading: 1. Hazards of overloading: (1) It can easily induce traffic accidents: Overloaded vehicles operate under excessive load for prolonged periods, resulting in lower braking and operational safety performance. Risks such as tire blowouts, brake failure, broken leaf springs, and axle fractures may occur, posing serious traffic safety hazards. (2) It significantly shortens road service life: The load of overloaded vehicles generally far exceeds the designed load capacity of roads and bridges. Their frequent travel causes road surface damage and bridge fractures, greatly reducing the normal service life of roads and necessitating early major repairs. 2. Overloading regulations: (1) Article 49 of the Road Traffic Safety Law stipulates: Motor vehicles must not carry more passengers than the approved number, and passenger vehicles must not carry cargo in violation of regulations. (2) Article 48 of the Road Traffic Safety Law stipulates: The load carried by motor vehicles must comply with the approved load capacity, and overloading is strictly prohibited. The length, width, and height of the cargo must not violate loading requirements, and the cargo must not spill or scatter during transport.
Yes, overloading with one small child definitely counts as overloading, because a child occupies a seat in the car and is counted in the total number of passengers just like an adult. The vehicle's designed passenger capacity is a strict standard; for example, in a five-seater car, having a sixth person is considered overloading, regardless of whether it's a child. I drove a taxi for over ten years and encountered many such cases; carrying an extra child can affect braking performance, increase the risk of rollover during sharp turns, and I've even been fined 200 yuan by traffic police for it. The airbag coverage is also insufficient, putting the child at greater risk of injury in an accident. It's advisable to always count the number of passengers before getting in the car, avoid taking chances, and rather take an extra taxi than risk it. Regularly checking seat and seatbelt settings can also reduce the chance of accidents. Overloading is not only illegal but also endangers everyone's life, including the child's.
