Child seat rules in Spain: what the law requires

This is the one decision in a car hire that offers no saving. The rule is measured in centimetres and the penalty applies on a 2 kilometre trip as much as on a 200 kilometre one.

What the rule says

The criterion is height, not age. Occupants measuring 135 centimetres or less must use an approved restraint system suited to their height and weight, and must travel in the rear seats. The front seat is permitted only in defined cases: where the vehicle has no rear seats, where the rear seats are already occupied by other children in restraints, or where it is not possible to fit all the required systems in the rear.

Hiring or bringing your own

Hiring costs 5 € to 9 € per day with a usual cap of 45 € to 70 € per rental, so 7 days costs 35 € to 63 € and 14 days reaches the cap. Bringing your own has two advantages: you know its history, which matters because a seat that has been in an impact must be replaced, and the child travels in something familiar. Most airlines carry a child seat without an additional charge.

What to check when collecting one

The approval label, which must be present and legible. The absence of cracks in the shell and of fraying on the harness. That the model matches the child's actual height rather than the one entered at booking, since children grow between reservation and travel. And that you are given time to fit it properly: a poorly anchored seat protects far less than a correctly fitted one.

Where the car has rigid anchor points, use them, since they reduce fitting errors substantially compared with belt only installation.

Airbags and other details

A rear facing seat must never be fitted in a front seat with an active airbag. Where there is no alternative, the airbag must be deactivated and the deactivation evidenced. Hire cars do not always have an accessible switch, so this must be raised when booking rather than in the car park with the children waiting.