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50.0%ANMag Issue 24 Global Awareness
Children Car Safety
By Mona Khouri Akl, President of YASA
Beirut, Lebanon - Car crashes are the most common cause of death among children over all other types of injuries. With hundreds of children being injured or killed on the Lebanese roads each year, it is essential that all children are made aware of road safety and its importance.
Parents with good traffic safety habits are the best teachers to their children.
The parent’s educational role starts at birth and never ends. Parents can ensure that their children are aware of road safety from an early age and should support any activity for their children to help promote this safety behavior.
Children can be injured by cars whether they were inside or outside the car. Children playing on the sidewalk may be hit by a car that jumps the curb, or they may be struck if they venture into the street. But more commonly, a child is involved in a crash when he is the passenger.
Teach your children never to approach a vehicle, even if they think it is standing still and keep reminding them of this. Watch your children closely if they are playing in driveways and sidewalks, and be alert for cars around the children.
In parking areas, drivers are unable to see small children. To avoid tragedies, always hold the child's hand when walking through a parking area. Older children should also be warned of the dangers in this area. Keep in mind that children are easily distracted and forget about safety measures. Due to excitement, a child might forget that cars are around and can become in danger.
Avoid the temptation of leaving your children in the car alone while you want to do a quick pick up from outside the car. There have been many reported incidents and accidents with unattended children left inside the car.
Car seat and children
Children safety in the car starts from the time they are born and want to leave the hospital with their mother; i.e. the first trip in the car.
Children should always be placed in the proper car seat and have the car seat properly fitted into its most safe position in the car.
From birth to one year or until the baby can sit properly alone, the baby should be placed in what is called a “Level Zero” car seat. This car seat is the portable type that the baby can be carried with when taken out of the car. This should always be placed in a rear facing position; i.e. the face of the baby facing the rear of the car. YASA reminds you that the best place for this car seat is in the middle of the rear seat.
For children above one year of age, we can use the “Level One” car seat. This latter is kept fitted in the car using the car’s seatbelt and the toddler is placed in the seat and buckled using the special seatbelts of the car seat. The toddlers can keep using this car seat until they are taller than the top of the back of the seat while sitting.
Once the child outgrows this level, they can then be moved to the “Booster” seat. This seat uses the seatbelt of the car to fix the child in position. Usually when this type is empty, the seat is not fixed. Once again, the child should stay using this model until the head of the seated child passes over the top of the back of the booster.
The last type of children safety seats is the booster base that serves like a cushion to boost up the seated child to allow the car seatbelt to fit properly on the child’s body.
A key to children safety is to keep them in the rear seats of the car away from the airbags and to keep them in the age and size appropriate car seat. Never place children in front seats of cars.
For parents who drive alone with their kids, there is a good way to watch over a rear facing child than sitting next to the child. It is recommended to use the special safety mirror that helps the driver view the child.
Keep in mind: no exception to using the car seat no matter how close the drive is.
Airbags and Children
Airbags are lifesaving although they cause unintended adverse effects. But some airbag injuries have been serious. There have been some deaths. These have occurred when someone has been on top of, or very close to, an airbag as it began inflating. Infants in rear-facing restraints and unbelted or unrestrained children in the front seats of vehicles with passenger airbags are at the most risk. You can eliminate the risk, and you can almost always do it. Begin by putting your child in a back seat and using a restraint appropriate to the child’s size.
Injuries and deaths can be prevented if car safety rules are followed consistently. Never take risks with the child's safety.