Seat Your Child Right

A child’s head is larger in relation to the body size and they find it difficult to maintain an upright posture on collision and come head on to the expanding airbag when seated in the front seat

Parents must know the correct place for the kids in cars and the dangers of airbags.

Every morning on my way to work I pass numerous cars where parents carry their infant or young children in the front seat of the car in their laps, blissfully oblivious to the dangers of this practice. I also see young children sitting as a third addition on two wheelers. It makes me wonder if such parents throw caution to the wind. But I think they are unaware of the danger to their children and needs to be educated.

The newer vehicles come with front airbags. Such air bags have resulted in the death of at least 180 children worlwide, many of them infants sitting in rear-facing prams in the front passenger seat. Such airbags are released from the front panel at 200 miles an hour and can easily injure or kill a child or even damage an adult sitting too close to the airbag. A child's head is larger in relation to the body size and they find it difficult to maintain an upright posture on collision and come head on to the expanding airbag. The ideal place for child under the age of 12 is on the centre of the back seat using a booster seat or safety belt appropriate for them.

It would also be wise to switch off the front airbag while travelling with kids. As technology gets safer, newer cars come equipped with advanced frontal airbags to reduce risks for tiny tots. Sensors in the seat assess the size of the passenger and if the system registers a child, the airbag is prevented from deploying or deployed with less force. Nevertheless, the back seat is a safer place for a child. In the UK, it is mandatory for children under three to use a car seat appropriate for his weight and a rearfacing seat cannot be put in the front seat unless the airbag has been deactivated. Until the child is 4 feet 5' or 12-years-old, he must be in the correct child seat and only after that can he use an adult seat belt. Such seat belts used on children are too high on his abdomen and can damage his internal organs. It is also possible that he may slip out under the belt. The law may vary from country to country and even state to state in certain countries.

In South Carolina, for instance, children under the age of one and weighing less than 20lbs must be in a rear-facing seat. Between the age of one and five and between 20lbs to 40lbs they must be in a forward-facing child safety seat. Children between the ages of 1 and 5 weighing between 40to80lbs must be in a belt positioning booster seat. Irrespective of age, children over 80lbs or those who can sit erect against the car seat and bend their legs over the seat edge are not required to be in a booster seat. Children under six cannot ride in the front seat, the exception being if the back seat is occupied by children under six or the vehicle has no back seat.

Earlier, car seats were designed in a way so that children could look out of the window and amuse themselves; but were not designed for child safety. For the best possible protection, when the child is one-year-old and 20lbs or less a rear-facing seat in the back seat of the car is advised. From here, he graduates to a forward facing seat till 5years of age when between 20 to 40lbs. Such a seat shall also be placed in the back seat of the car. Children then should move to a booster seat in the back seat of the car until he is 8 or till they are 4 ft 5 inches tall. Then they should start using seat belts. One must ensure that the seat belt used is appropriately strapped, the lap belt lays across the upper thighs &the shoulder belt fits across the chest. It is a good idea for an adult to belt up to set a good example to children. Older vehicles had only lap belt and these should not be considered adequate. Lap belt alone reduces the risk of head injury but increase the risk of abdominal injuries in head on frontal crashes by 47&52% respectively. It is therefore for better to have both lap and shoulder belts.

There are parental concerns when to change from booster seat to seat belt and the simple test is to make the child sit all the way to the back and see if his knees bend naturally over the seat. If they do not then he shall continue to ride in a booster seat. Then use the belt and see where the lap belt lies. It should be across the upper thighs or the pants pocket area. If this does not happen then he should continue to ride in a booster seat. Next check the shoulder belt which should lie on the shoulder or collar bone and not cutting into the neck. If this belt is on the face or neck he should continue to use booster seat. The shoulder belt should not be placed under the arms & you must ensure that your child does not slouch or shift position so that the belt connects with the face or neck or abdomen. If this happen the child should continue to use booster seat.

In the US, more than 200 children under 14 years die in vehicle crashes. In 1997, 320,000 children were injured in car accident. It is my plea to all you parents to travel safely with your children in the car & I would be happy to see better policing to see that 3 or even more do not ride on two wheels. We as a society have enough disease to cope with leading to death, let us not add the added burden of injury through accident.