PARENTS and caregivers must recognise the importance of child car seats in preventing child injuries, said a non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to the health and wellbeing of children in Malaysia.
The Malaysia Paediatric Association (MPA) said this in response to a recent dashcam footage incident that took place in Kelantan where a child was ejected from a car that was doing a U-turn mainly because the child was not strapped into the child car seat.
“This unfortunate accident underscores the paramount importance of child car seats in ensuring the safety and well-being of our youngest passengers,” MPA president Associate Professor Dr Mohamad Ikram Ilias said in statement today (Oct 24).
“This incident serves as a heart-wrenching reminder of the grave risk children face when they are not properly secured in an appropriate child car seat.”
According to Dr Mohamad Ikram, child car seats are especially created to give children with the highest level of protection during motor vehicle journeys while also acting as a safety measure for children that has been shown to reduce the risk of injury or fatality in the event of a collision.
“The safety of our children should always be our top priority. Child car seats are engineered to protect our little ones from serious injuries and save lives.
“We cannot emphasise enough how vital it is for parents and caregivers to use child car seats on every car journey.”
Dr Mohamad Ikram further stated that child car seats are created according to the child’s age, weight, and height to ensure optimal protection, and that it is critical that these seats are used and installed correctly.
“MPA urges parents and caregivers to seek guidance on the proper installation of child car seats to maximise their effectiveness,” he added.
As such, MPA urged all parents and caregivers to prioritise the safety of children by using appropriate child car seats for every car journey and to ensure child car seats are correctly installed and used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
It also said parents and caregivers should also stay informed about the latest child car seats safety guidelines and regulations in Malaysia.
“By adhering to these safety measures, we can help prevent tragic incidents like the recent one and protect the lives of our most valuable passengers,” Dr Mohamad Ikram remarked.
Last Tuesday (Oct 17), a 62-second dashcam video was shared on Facebook showing an alarming incident where a child was thrown out of a car she was in when the vehicle was making a U-turn on a road in Kota Bharu, Kelantan.
The incident is suspected to be caused by the carelessness of the caretaker who did not lock the door on the rear passenger side, resulting in the girl being thrown out. It was even more alarming when the victim was then hit by two other vehicles.
However, some motorcyclists who were aware of the incident came to help the victim. It is understood the victim suffered minor injuries as she was still able to stand and walk towards the motorcyclists who helped her. – Oct 24, 2023
Main pic credit: Motherhood Story
