Tips on Travelling with Babies and Children

Children are extremely vulnerable as their build differs from an adult in that the head is large and heavy in relation to the body, which in a collision will cause the child to be flung forwards, head first, at an incredibly high speed if he/she is not buckled up. This can result in serious neck and facial injuries, brain damage and death. By adhering to the following tips may you never have to say "If only…" Remember that life is precious and your child is irreplaceable.

• Children who are not buckled up will be seriously injured or die if the vehicle in which they are travelling is involved in a collision. Always buckle your child up even if you are only travelling short distances or at a low speed;

• Babies and children should be seated in the vehicle in a suitable child-seat. Even a small collision can be fatal for a small child who is not buckled in;

• There are a variety of excellent rear-facing and front-facing child-seats on the market. Child-seats should be SABSapproved and appropriate to the child’s age, weight, build and stage of development. It is important to install the restraint according to the manufacturer’s instructions;

• Never place a front-facing child-seat in the front passenger seat if your vehicle is fitted with air-bags. When the air-bag is released on impact your baby or child may be suffocated by it;

• Never travel with your child on your lap! Should a collision occur, he or she will be thrown against the dashboard or through the windscreen;

• Never let your child share your seatbelt because if you are involved in a collision he/she will be crushed between your body and the seatbelt;

• A carrycot is not a child restraint. A collision will cause the carrycot to be flung around inside the vehicle, injuring the child as well as other passengers;

• Seat belts and child restraints also serve as a restraining device against boisterous youngsters, who may distract the driver;

• Your child should not be given the choice of whether or not to use a child restraint. It is the responsibility and legal obligation of the driver to ensure that children are buckled up;

• Regularly check that the straps that secure the child-seat into your vehicle have not worked themselves loose.

DEMOSTRATION

This is the video that FORD make a demo on car while accident.

Miros: Make child restraint systems in vehicles a MUST

The Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) wants child restraint systems in vehicles to be made compulsory.

Miros director-general Prof Dr Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah said there were no legal provisions currently to make it mandatory for adults ferrying children to use child restraint systems.

“One of the primary areas being looked into is the need for children to be kept safe in vehicles,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Research has shown that the safest place in a car for a child is the rear seat.

“Parents and adults in a vehicle must always ensure that children of all ages are properly secured when travelling, either in a dedicated child seat, infant seat or buckling up their seat belts,” Dr Farhan said.

He said road accident statistics revealed a high number of road fatalities involving children.

Children between one and 15 years old accounted for 410 fatalities in 2008, with 2,797 having suffered slight to serious injuries.

“Of the figure, 43% involved children travelling on motorcycles,” Dr Farhan added.

He said residential areas were also becoming increasingly dangerous in terms of road accidents involving children.

“In the same year, 75 children were killed, 192 seriously injured and 424 sustained slight injuries from road accidents that occurred within housing areas.”

Unrestrained children could be flung out of vehicles, thrown against the front windscreen or dashboard and result in serious injury or death, he said.

“A child in the front seat, on the lap of a parent, can be crushed between the parent and the dashboard in the event of a collision,” he added.

THE LAWS

The law on a child car seat can be divided into :
1 >> CAR
2 >> OTHER VEHICLES


1) CAR
    In the car, it can be divided into :

• Child up to 3 years old
• Children age 3 and above (until they reach either their 12th birthday or 135cm height)
• Children over 1.35m height or 12 years old
• Passenger over 14 years old

     Child up to 3 years old

       >> In the Front Seat
            The child MUST use the correct child restraint.

             It is illegal to carry a child in a rear-facing child seat in the front, which is protected by an active frontal airbag.

      

       >> In the Rear Seat

            The child MUST use the correct child restraint.

In a licensed taxi or licensed hire car, if a child restraint is not available then the child may travel unrestrained in the                                rear. This is the only exception for children under 3, and has been introduced for practical rather than safety reasons. You   should always think about ways to make sure that a child seat is available.

It is the driver's legal responsibility to ensure that the child is correctly restrained.

     Children age 3 and above (until they reach either their 12th birthday or    135cm height)

       >> In the Front Seat
            The child MUST use the correct child restraint.

      

       >> In the Rear Seat
            The child MUST use the correct restraint, where seat belts are fitted.

There are three exceptions where there is not a child seat available. In each case the child MUST use the adult belt instead. They are :

1) in a licensed taxi or private hire vehicle;

2) if the child is travelling on a short distance for reason of unexpected necessity;

3) if there are two occupied child restraints in the rear which prevent the fitment of a third.

In addition, a child 3 and over may travel unrestrained in the rear seat of a vehicle if seat belts are not available.
It is the driver's legal responsibility to ensure that the child is correctly restrained.

     Children over 1.35m height or 12 years old 

      >> In the Front Seat

           The adult seat belt MUST be worn if available.

      >> In the Rear Seat

           The adult seat belt MUST be worn if available.

It is the driver's legal responsibility to ensure that the child is correctly restrained.

     Passenger over 14 years old

When travelling in the front or rear seat, an adult seat belt MUST be worn if available. It is the responsibility of the individual passenger to ensure that they are wearing the seat belt.

2) OTHER VEHICLES

Front Seats

The law requires children (and adults) travelling in the front of all vehicles, including vans, buses, coaches, minibuses and goods vehicles to use an appropriate child restraint or adult seat belts.

Rear Seats

Rear Seats in Small Minibuses

Passengers sitting in the rear of minibuses that have an unladen weight of 2,540 kg or less must wear the seat belts that are provided. It is the driver’s responsibility to ensure that :

• children under 3 years of age use an appropriate child restraint if available.
• children aged between 3 and 11 years, under 1.35 metres tall use an appropriate child restraint if available, or if not available, wear the seat belt, if available.
• children aged 12 and 13 years (and younger children who are 1.35 metres or taller) use the seat belt, if available.

Passengers over the age of 14 years in smaller minibuses are legally responsible for wearing a seat belt themselves.

Rear Seats in Larger Minibuses

Passengers over the age of 14 MUST wear seat belts in the rear of larger minibuses (over 2,540 kg unladen weight). However, all passengers are strongly advised to wear seat belts or the correct child seat on all journeys.

Rear Seats in Coaches

Passengers over the age of 14 MUST wear seat belts in the rear coaches. However, all passengers are strongly advised to wear seat belts or the correct child seat on all journeys.

TYPES OF CHILD SEATS

          An appropriate child restraint is one which:
              >> conforms to the United Nations standard, ECE Regulation 44­03
              >> is suitable for the child's weight and size
              >> is correctly fitted according to the manufacturer's instructions. 


          Child restraints are divided into categories, according to the weight of the 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. 
          Retailers often describe child restraints in terms of 'Stages': 
                        Stage 1 = Groups 0 and 0+
                        Stage 2 = Group 1
                        Stage 3 = Group 2
                        Stage 4 = Group 3


         Some child restraints are capable of being converted as the child grows and, therefore, fit into more than one group or stage. 
The main types are:



1 >> Rearward­facing Baby Seats



Group 0 for babies up to 10 kgs (22 lbs) roughly from birth to 6­9 months, or
Group 0+ for babies up to 13kg (29lbs) roughly from birth to 12­15 months 


         They 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. Rearward­facing seats provide greater protection for the baby's head, neck and spine than forward­facing seats. So, it is best to keep your baby in a rearward­facing seat for as long as possible. Only move them to a forward­facing 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.



2 >> Forward­facing child seat





Group 1 for children weighing 9­18 kgs (20­40 lbs) roughly from 9 months ­ 4 years. 


         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. 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.


3 >> Booster seat



Group 2 for children weighing 15 ­ 25 kgs (33 ­ 55 lbs) roughly 4 to 6 years. 


        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. Some Booster seats are designed to be converted into a booster cushion by detaching the back rest.


4 >> Booster Cushion





Group 3: for children weighing 22 ­ 36 kgs (48 ­ 79 lbs) roughly from 6 ­ 11 years. 


        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. Booster seats and booster cushions do not 
have an integral harness to hold the child in place. The adult seat belt goes around the child and the seat. So it is important that the seat belt is correctly adjusted. 


        The basic points to note are:
               >> the belt should be worn as tight as possible
               >> the lap belt should go over the pelvic region, not the stomach
               >> the diagonal strap should rest over the shoulder, not the neck.

What is "child restraint"?

               Child restraint system are seats designed specifically to protect children from injury or death during collisions. Automobile manufacturers may integrate child safety seats directly into their vehicle's design. Most commonly, these seats are purchased and installed by consumers. Many regions require children defined by age, weight, and/or height to use a governmentally approved child safety seat when riding in a vehicle. Child safety seats provide passive restraints and must be properly used to be effective.  Sometimes referred as :

• Infant safety seat
• Child safety seat
• Restraint car seat 
• Ambiguously as car seat