New SUVs getting bigger and bigger: child seats now mandatory for drivers

Rough translation below, as original is in German:

For years, SUVs have been getting bigger and more luxurious. However, the people who drive these vehicles have not grown with them. To ensure road safety, a child seat requirement for SUV drivers has now been added to the Road Traffic Regulations (StVO). It will apply to numerous car models starting March 1.

“For safety reasons, child seats are now simply a necessity for adults driving SUVs,” explains traffic expert Manfred Salamonik, who was involved in drafting the new regulation. “Firstly, so that the seat belt fits properly and does not constrict the driver's neck in an emergency. Secondly, so that you can actually see over the steering wheel and reach all the controls and the gear stick in a modern SUV.”

All SUV models built in 2018 or later are affected by the child seat requirement. In these vehicles, it can be assumed that the interior is so large that, relatively speaking, the driver is about as small as a child in a conventional car.

The first adult-sized child seats with five-point harnesses approved by TÜV have been available in stores since this week. Extras such as a built-in cup holder or a Velcro fastener for attaching a favorite cuddly toy or teething ring are available at an additional cost.

Drivers who are at least 2.20 meters tall or weigh more than 250 kilograms are exempt from the child seat requirement.

But it's not just adults who have to adapt: children traveling in a new SUV will in future need two child seats – one adult-sized seat that is attached to the seat, and one child-sized seat that is attached to the first child seat.