|
  
|
9% of Road Deaths are Kids
9% of Road Deaths are Kids
In a car crash at just 30mph, a child who is not wearing a seat belt will be hurled inside the car (or ejected through the car window) with a force 30 to 60 times his or her body weight. The impact of an unrestrained child can also kill or seriously injure the driver or front seat passenger.
Many parents are seen holding the child in their lap while driving. However, it is not safe for adults to hold a child or baby on their lap even if they are using a seat belt around both of them. The impact of a car crash would force the child from their arms, no matter how hard the adult tries to hold on.
Child restraints save lives. The safest way for children to travel in a car is in a properly fitted child seat appropriate to their weight and size. An unrestrained infant travelling at 50kph suffers the same injuries as a child dropped out of a third storey window. Child safety seats reduce the risk of death in car crashes by 71 percent for infants and by 53 percent for toddlers. Booster seats for children aged four to seven reduce the risk of injury by 59 percent compared to seat belts alone. |
|
