Still on Deana, that Angel of the Nile

I urge you to go through that piece and ponder over how you drive; over how you transport your Deanas (Children), the number of times you expose them to unnecessary hazards through dangerous driving such as excessive speeding, phoning and driving, driving against traffic or even driving under the influence. While these bad driving habits […]

I urge you to go through that piece and ponder over how you drive; over how you transport your Deanas (Children), the number of times you expose them to unnecessary hazards through dangerous driving such as excessive speeding, phoning and driving, driving against traffic or even driving under the influence. While these bad driving habits are worrisome, I believe that every sane parent should give a thought on the safeguarding his ward safely in a vehicle.
When I first wrote on this, I recalled the WHO Global Burden of Disease project which stated that in 2004 nearly 1.3 million people of all ages were killed in road traffic crashes around the world and up to 50 million more were injured or disabled. The same report further stated that globally, 21 per cent of road traffic deaths were among children, noting that in 2004, road traffic injuries accounted for approximately 262, 000 child deaths among children and youth aged 0–19 years – almost 30 per cent  of all injury deaths among children. Road traffic injuries are today the leading cause of death among young people aged 15 to 19 years and the second leading cause among 5-14 year-olds. . Globally, these deaths on the roads account for nearly two per cent of all deaths among children.
As I conclude, let me refresh our memories on the United Nation Convention on the rights of children which states that every child has a right to a safe environment and to protection from injury and violence; that the institutions, services and facilities responsible for the care or protection of children should conform to established standards, particularly in the areas of safety and health. The weighty responsibility rest on parents who must exhibit a high sense of decency while using the road as a compliment to government efforts to mitigate the increasing cases of deaths and injuries involving children. This they can do by the simple obedience to traffic rules.
The World Report on Child Injury Prevention edited by Margie Pedan list the use of child restraints as one of the best protection for children. Like seat-belts, appropriate child restraints secures the child to the vehicle such that, in the event of a crash, it reduces the chance of a severe injury occurring. It is strange that, while seat belt use among adults irrespective of sex is on the high side, child restraint usage is extremely low. So why do parents strap themselves and yet choose to expose their children? Is it ignorance or just mere showoff at the detriment of their children safety? Why would a parent purchase a child restraint and yet choose not to use it for the child’s safety? Or why would a parent spend so much to buy a car and yet not consider a child restraint as a priority?
While you share my worry, let me state here that there are three types of restraint for children: rear-facing restraints for infants; forward-facing child restraints; booster cushions or booster seats, for older children. Child restraints are very effective at preventing fatalities, and are the most important “in-vehicle” safety measure for children. In the event of a crash, if restraint are properly installed and used, they can: reduce deaths among infants by around 70 per cent; reduce deaths among small children, aged 1–4 years, by 54 per cent; reduce the chances of sustaining injuries by 59% among children aged 4–7 years who are strapped in booster seats, as compared to the rate of injuries sustained using ordinary vehicle seat-belts
 Unfortunately, despite their effectiveness, even parents who take the pain to provide a child restraint indulge in using restraints as showoff souvenirs; they often fail to use the restraints or fail in properly strapping the child in the restraint and the restrains to the car as recommended, thus rendering the restraint ineffective. It is common to see majority of parents do school runs with children within this category without restraining them. Some claim the restraint are costly while others naively claim they are not meant for our culture or for their class but meant for the well to do in society.  Ironically, even the well to do indulge in this holier than thou attitude as if their wards are immuned from a road crash. Since we cannot reinvent the wheel, We should emulate the examples of developed societies such as Sweden, United Kingdom and the United States of America where usage rates are as high as 90 per cent. But while we copy this best practices, we must note that if a child, for instance, is restrained in a device that is wrong for his age or weight, or the straps or harnesses is inadequately secured or  left entirely undone as stated, the child is placed at increased risk of both fatal and non-fatal injuries.
  Parents need education on the type of seat to choose where to place it and how to install it. It is therefore instructive that as we reflect on the need to safeguard children, that NGOs, religious organizations, schools, safety officers and other stakeholders join the campaign to educate motorists on the appropriate use of child restraints. For emphasis a rear-facing child safety seat should never be placed in front of an airbag as research suggests that children whose restraints are placed in the centre rear seating position incur fewer injuries than those placed on the outer seats.  It is recommended that children be secured in age appropriate child restraints. Where such restraints are not available, it is better to use an adult seat-belt than to leave the child unrestrained. For children over the age of 10 years, or above 150 cm in height, seat belt, which reduces the risk of ejection from the vehicle and sustaining serious or fatal injury by between 40 per cent and 65 per cent should be used.