It is shocking to know that more than more than 260,000 children die in road traffic crashes each year and up to 10 million more are injured.
The United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of the Child states that all children have a right to a safe environment and to protection from injury and violence. Children are exposed to hazards and risks as they go about their daily lives and are therefore vulnerable to injury (World report on child injury prevention. Geneva, WHO and UNICEF, 200)
Globally, the majority of the fatal injuries to children under the age of 18 years are the result of road traffic crashes.
In the UAE, injuries are one of the leading causes of death for children. 2 out of every 3 fatally injured children die due to road traffic crashes. This is around 3 times the global average.
A crash at 50 km/hr without child restraint systems is like a 10-meter fall for a child. This increases to 25-meters for a crash at 80 km/hr.
Some key facts:
The smaller the child, the lower the force needed for injury. At birth an infant’s head is 1/4 of their total length and a 1/3 of their body weight. Their skull is very flexible and even a very small impact can injure the skull and brain.
The bone forming process is not complete until the age of 6 or 7 years and throughout childhood a child’s skull remains less strong than an adult’s does.
In a crash at 50 km/h a child will be thrown forward with a force equivalent to a fall from a 3 story building. Imagine what could happen at a higher speed.
Seat belts are made for adults not children. That’s why child car safety seats were created.
Using child car safety seats helps solve other hazards in the car such as peeking outside the window, playing with door locks and windows, physical fighting, and distracting the driver.
Tips for preventing injury:
Read the vehicle owner’s manual on how to install the car seat using the seat belt or isofix system and check height and weight limits.
If you forget how to install your car seat, you can go back to the retailer and have them show you how. Make sure you know how to install it yourself.
Dispose of a car seat if it has been in a car crash. An impact at speeds from 10 km/h can cause invisible damage to the seat which reduces its safety.
Avoid buying used car seats as it is difficult to track the history of the seat.
Getting your children to use car seats from birth every trip, every time will make them less resistant as they grow.
If the number of seatbelts in your car is less than the number of your children, you will need to find solutions or compromise, such as taking two cars, making two trips, buying a bigger car or leaving some children at home.
There are many different types of car seats available locally for every child, every car and every budget.
The car seat brand does not matter as long as it meets an approved international safety standard such as the European standard ECE R44.04 or the American standard FMVSS 213. Ask the salesperson to show you the standard stamp on the car seat.
To minimize child resistance make them part of the decision and let them take a part in picking their car seat.
Set a good example and always wear your seatbelt.
Bring a photograph to the nurses of yourself in your car seat and get a certificate.
Published by: Susan Roberts, Dated: May 10, 2018
