Is 5 Adults and 1 Child in a Sedan Considered Overloading?
3 Answers
It is considered overloading as traffic regulations specify that the permitted passenger capacity is determined by the number indicated on the vehicle registration certificate. Below is relevant information about the hazards of overloading: 1. Hazards: Research shows that when a vehicle's axle load exceeds the standard load by one time, driving on the highway once is equivalent to a standard vehicle driving on asphalt pavement 256 times or on concrete pavement 65,536 times. Moreover, the larger the vehicle's approved load capacity, the more severe the damage caused by overloading to the road. The maximum single rear axle load monitored in China reached 24 tons. Such a vehicle driving on a concrete highway once is equivalent to a standard vehicle driving 1.21 million times. 2. Negative impacts: Overloading causes significant harm to the healthy development of the transportation market. It leads to market chaos, completely disrupting the basic pricing system of the transportation market. Under normal circumstances, transportation pricing is based on the cubic volume and weight of the goods. It's all about bargaining, charging by the whole vehicle. Vehicle overloading severely pollutes the atmospheric environment.
Let's be serious about this, the number of car seats isn't calculated by weight. I've checked the traffic regulations - overloading is counted by heads. A standard private car is generally approved for 5 people. With your 5 adults plus one child making 6 total, whether being held or seated, that's definitely one seat over capacity. Last year my father-in-law got caught on this exact issue - carrying relatives in the car was caught on camera, costing him 6 points and 200 yuan. Don't underestimate that extra small body - during emergency braking, a child without their own seat is actually in the most danger. If you really need a family trip, I suggest making two trips or calling a dedicated car. Squeezing into one vehicle does more harm than good, with safety factors plummeting straight down.
I've dealt with similar cases before, and many people tend to fall into the misconception that children don't take up space and don't count. But the regulations clearly state that vehicle overloading is calculated based on the number of occupants. Your situation is equivalent to cramming six people into a five-seat vehicle. Once, in a car owners' group chat, someone mentioned being caught for overloading three times and having to retake their driving test. Moreover, with the upgraded electronic surveillance systems now capable of detecting how many heads are crammed in the back seat, if you're caught with your child, it's not just about points and fines—the biggest concern is the impact on your vehicle insurance claims. The safest approach is to have smaller family members take public transport instead, or rent a seven-seater to solve the problem. The cost of cutting corners could be significant.
