How safe is your child?

One of such examples is the wearing of seatbelts which could prevent many of these deaths and serious injuries. Available reports over the last 25years, conservatively estimate that in highly motorised countries, about 310,000 fatalities and more that 9 million moderate to critical injuries have been prevented through wearing of seatbelts. Even in a safety […]

One of such examples is the wearing of seatbelts which could prevent many of these deaths and serious injuries. Available reports over the last 25years, conservatively estimate that in highly motorised countries, about 310,000 fatalities and more that 9 million moderate to critical injuries have been prevented through wearing of seatbelts. Even in a safety conscious country such as the United State of America, it was said  that in the year 2003, more that 7,000 lives were lost and over 140,000 people injured unnecessarily because they failed to wear their seatbelts.
Seatbelts of course, do not prevent an accidenttaking place. They do however, play a crucial role in reducing the severity of injury to vehicle occupants involved in an accident. Vehicle safety features are distinguished by two categories:‘primary safety and secondary safety.’ Primary safety features aim to prevent an accident taking place, e.g. good brakes, tyres. Secondary safety features aim to prevent or minimise injury to a vehicle occupant once the accident has occurred.Seatbelt is a secondary safety device with a number of objectives, which include preventing ejection from the vehicle in an impact, reducing the risk of contact with the interior of the vehicle or reducing the speed of such impacts, providing a distributed force to the wearer to give the necessary support in an accident restraining the vehicle occupant before guiding them back into their seats.
The effectiveness of the use of seatbelts is no longer in doubt as studies conducted throughout the world since the 1950s have shown conclusively that seatbelts when worn and fitted correctly, save lives. Users of safety belts sustain approximately 35 percent less ‘major-fatal’ grade injuries than non-users. Another study by Nordisk Trafiksikker Hedsrad (1984) calculated that “drivers and front seat passengers who do not use seatbelts suffer almost the same percentage of head injuries as non-users in rear seats.” Therefore, use of seatbelt by rear seat passengers could not only reduce the likelihood and severity of injury to themselves, but also to drivers and/or front seat passengers.
Since reports show increased speeding among motorists, we need to realise that in a crash at just 30 km/ph, an unrestrained child would be thrown forward with a force 30 to 60 times, their body weight. They would be thrown about inside the vehicle, injuring themselves and quite seriously injuring (or even killing) other people inside the vehicle. They are also likely to be ejected from the car through one of the windows. Do we know also that it is not safe to hold a child on our laps? That in a crash, the child could be crushed between your body and part of the car’s interior? That even if you were using a seatbelt, the child would be torn from your arms, and that you would not be able to hold onto them, no matter how hard you try. Do you also know that it is also dangerous to put a seatbelt around yourself and a child or around two children? Or to carry that child or children in the front passenger seat or on your tommy as most of us do, especially during school runs or rush hours? That the safest way for children to travel in cars no matter the distance is in a child seat that is suitable for their weight or size.
An approximate child restraint is one, which conforms to the United Nations standard ECE Regulations 44-03. Child restraints are divided into categories, according to the weight of children for whom they are suitable. These correspond broadly to different age groups, but it is the weight of the child that is most important when deciding what type of child restraint to use. Some child restraints are capable of being converted as the child grows and therefore fit into more than one group or stage.
For example, the rearward-facing baby seat is for babies up to 10kgs (22ibs) roughly from birth to 6-9 months or for babies up to 13kg (29ibs) roughly from birth to 12-15 months. These two can be used in the front or rear of the car. It is safer to put them in the rear. Do not put them in the front passenger seat if there is a passenger airbag. Rearward-facing seats provide great protection for the baby’s head, legs and spine than forward-facing seats. So it is best to keep your baby in the rearward-facing seats for as long as possible. Only move them to a forward-facing seat once they have exceeded the maximum weight for the baby seat or the top of their head is higher than the top of the seat.
The forward-facing child seat is for children weighing 9-18kgs (20-40ibs) roughly from 9 months – 4 years. Once children have outgrown a rearward–facing seat, the best option is to use a given (babies from birth to 15 months) seat with an integral harness – the large area of the harness helps to reduce the risk of injury if there is a crash – the bottom attachment between the legs will also prevent the child from sliding under and out of the harness. They can be used in the front or rear of the car, but it is safer to put them in the rear, especially if there is a passenger airbag in the front.
Once again, it is safer to keep children in this type of system until they have outgrown it. Only move your child to a booster seat once they have exceeded the maximum weight for the child seat or the top of their head is higher than the top of the seat. Booster seats and booster cushions are used for children. Modern booster seats are designed for children between 15kg and 36kg (33-72ibs) i.e. 4-11 years.
The law requires children traveling in cars to use the correct restraint until they are either 135cm in height or the age of 12 (whichever they reach first). After this, they must use an adult seatbelt. It is the driver’s responsibility to ensure that the children under the age of 14 years are restrained correctly in accordance with the law.
However, it is the responsibility of the individual passenger to ensure that they are wearing the seatbelt at the age 14 years and above. The safest option is to carry the same number of passengers, as there are seatbelts. If you must carry a passenger for whom there is no seatbelt, it is better for the heaviest passenger to wear a seatbelt because they would cause more severe injuries to other people in the car, if they are thrown out in a crash.