To be and feel safe is right that all children have, and it is the duty of adults to protect them. Driving irresponsibly, without regards to traffic regulations regarding child passengers, constitutes negligence that threatens our children’s safety.
Even though I understand that when we speak about car accidents, we are aware that they are mostly casual circumstanstances and sometimes inevitable, a large portion of them ARE easily avoidable and it is our responsibility not to produce them. For example, it is an accident if we encounter a slippery oil stain in the road. Even if we are driving cautiously at 30 mph, we may slip and crash into another vehicle. However, driving with a 6 month old baby in a parent’s lap or a 2 year old moving freely while the vehicle is running may cause them to be expelled from the vehicle, causing serious injuries and even death. These are not accidents.
The most frequent injuries sustained by children in violent vehicle crashes, are those to their head. However, any part of their body may result hurt. These possible injuries are incremented both in numbers and seriousness, if the child has not been placed in a child safety seat that is appropriate for the child’s size.
Remember:
- A vehicle’s back seat is the safest place for a child of any age.
- Never carry a child in your arms when driving over 3 mph. We would be incapable of restraining the child in case of sudden braking.
- Never place a child in the front seat of the car with its safety seat facing away from the direction the vehicle is moving. If the air bag were to inflate, it may crush the child and provoke death. Also, even if the safety seat were placed looking forward, the air bag may produce injuries to small children by also crushing them.
- In general, never use a safety seat that has been used previously by someone else, particularly if you don’t know if it was conserved and taken care of correctly.
- Use safety seats with a restraint mechanism that work in the same manner. Read the instructions carefully. A safety seat with the adequate restraining mechanism is as dangerous as not having placed your child in a safety seat at all.
- Finally, do not carry loose objects in the back of your car. In case of a crash, these objects may reach high speeds, impacting children and producing serious injuries to their head.
When we have a child passenger, the most important thing to do is buckle them up at all times. However, there are two important things to remember when we drive with them in our vehicle.
Por: Francheska Marcial
Instituto de Seguridad Vial
FUNDACIÓNMAPFRE
