Is it okay to carry one extra child in a five-seater car?
2 Answers
Carrying one extra child in a five-seater sedan is also considered an overloading violation. Below is an introduction about vehicle overloading: 1. Traffic Safety Law stipulates: In addition to administrative penalties, public security traffic management departments implement a cumulative scoring system (hereinafter referred to as scoring) for motor vehicle drivers' road traffic safety violations, with a scoring cycle of 12 months. 2. Penalties for overloading: If a driver accumulates 12 points within a scoring cycle, the public security traffic management department will detain their motor vehicle driving license. The driver must then participate in road traffic safety laws and regulations training and take an exam as required. If the exam is passed, the points will be cleared, and the driving license will be returned; if failed, the driver must continue with training and exams. If a motor vehicle driver does not accumulate 12 points within a scoring cycle and has paid all fines, the points will be cleared. If there are still unpaid fines even if the points have not reached 12, the points will carry over to the next scoring cycle.
I've been driving a five-seater for years. Last time I took my friend's kids out, we squeezed an extra child into the back seat and got pulled over by the police - 200 yuan fine plus 3 penalty points. Later I checked traffic laws: vehicles must carry passengers according to seat capacity - overloading is absolutely illegal, especially with children onboard due to major safety risks. A car only has five seatbelt positions - an extra child might not get a proper belt or child seat. During sudden braking or accidents, unbelted kids could get thrown and injured. Just thinking about it gives me chills. My advice? Don't risk it like I did - simply arrange another car or take a taxi instead. It's safer and more economical. Parents' duty is protecting children. Overcrowding also reduces cabin space, makes long drives exhausting, affects handling, and may damage suspension long-term. Plan trips properly beforehand - don't wait until boarding to face this dilemma.
