Standing Co-driver

How safe is your child

The risk of small children being killed or seriously injured is five times higher when not restrained in a vehicle. Often we see parents let their children stand on the front seat or between the two front seats. This can cause instant death to your little loved one or even kill you.

Accidents happen in a split second and can sometimes not be avoided. What will happen to your child when you suddenly stop; he/she will fly like a rocket against the object in front of him/her. A body travels on average twice the speed the car is moving against the dashboard or windscreen, causing severe injuries or death. There is no chance of you grabbing your child in such an event.

Parents also let their children ride on their lap unrestrained. I have witnessed numerous accidents when the parents cry, “I held him tight”. The only thing you are doing is using your child as an artificial airbag. There is no chance of holding your child on your lap, you are also moving forward for a split second with your safety belt on.

Children’s heads are bigger in relation to their body than an adult’s head. When you suddenly stop, a child is easily susceptible to severe head and neck injuries, the famous whiplash.

This is how much the risk of injury decreases compared with someone not using a safety belt:

1. Rear-facing child car seat 90-95%
2. Forward-facing seat with safety belt/cushion 50-60%
3. Only seat belt (adult) 50%

Remember to disconnect your front passenger airbag when your child is in a car seat.

Did you know that the law states that; a child may NOT ride in the front seat of a motor vehicle with an active passenger airbag if the child is:

1. Under one year of age
2. Weighs less than 27kg
3. Riding in a rear-facing child passenger restraint system

Children must be secured in the back seat of a vehicle until they are 6 years old or 27kg. Exceptions are:

1. There is no rear seat
2. The rear seats are side-facing jump seats
3. The rear seats are rear-facing seats
4. The child passenger restraint system cannot be installed properly in the rear seat
5. Children under that age of 12 years already occupy all rear seats

Thus children are five times safer riding in the back seat of a car – restrained – behind the driver seat. This way you can still keep an eye on your child in the rear view mirror.

If you are involved in an accident with your child, do not move your child if his position is not life threatening. Call Emergency Services immediately and inform the controller about the accident. A child has to be seen by a doctor after an accident due to their somewhat floppy bodies. An injury can easily go unnoticed.