In Safe Keeping

We can protect our children by following simple safety measures and adhering to some basic rules. For instance,one can opt for an infant safety seat. The child safety seat or a child restraint system is specifically designed to protect children from injury during a collision. Most often,these seats are purchased and installed by consumers and are not a standard fitment in the car. In a crash,at a speed of just 50 kilometers per hour,an unrestrained passenger,who is not wearing a seat belt,is thrown forward with a force that is 30 to 60 times their body weight. What if that unrestrained passenger is a small child? The child would almost certainly be hurled inside the vehicle,injuring itself and other passengers. Worse,they are likely to be thrown out of the vehicle through one of the windows,as the normal car seat belts are not designed to provide proper restraint to small children.

It is not even safe to hold a child on the lap while driving. In case of a crash,the child could be crushed between your body and the interiors of the car.

Therefore,the safest way for children to travel is to get a child seat that is suitable for their weight and size,and is fitted correctly.

The best car seat is not always the most expensive one. It is,in fact,one that best fits a child’s weight,size and age,as well as your vehicle. All child safety seats are made and manufactured using the same process,however there are different types of seats for children of different size and age,with specific guidelines as to how they should be used. Here are some of them:

Infant seats: From the time a child is born it must always ride with an infant seat,which is most well known as the rear-facing convertible seat. These seats are designed for a baby that is under 10kg and should always face the rear of a vehicle. Seats made specifically for infants are the smallest and have carrying handles for easy carrying and loading.

Convertible seats: A convertible seat is generally more bulky and can be converted to forward-facing child seats when the child grows. Toddlers and pre-school aged children also use convertible seats. It is recommended that the child should face the rear of the vehicle as long as possible. Children should ride in a convertible seat with a harness till they outgrow it around the age of four,or weigh at least 25 kg.

Booster seats: Children around 4 feet in height,and between the age of eight and twelve,need to upgrade to booster seats. These seats are front-facing and are designed to raise children up. By this age and size,the child has completely outgrown any rear-facing seat. After the child is 4 feet 6 inches and between the age of eight to twelve,it outgrows the booster seats and can be permitted to use regular adult seat restraints.

Once you have bought the child seat,it is equally important that the child seat is installed correctly. Learn the technique from a professional. If there are plans to buy a new car,take your kids and the child seat to the dealer and check if there is enough clearance for rear-facing seats in the backseat. Make sure that there is enough legroom for older kids in front-facing seats,or else they will always be kicking the back of your seat,which could be irritating. Check if each safety seat fits securely on the seat bottom cushion or if it is likely to wiggle around in your new car.

Remember,the safest place for a child seat is on the rear seat. Never use a rear-facing seat on a passenger seat fitted with an airbag,unless the airbag has been deactivated. Only put a forward-facing child seat in a front seat with an airbag after checking in the car handbook or with the manufacturer that it is safe to do so. Find out how far the bag inflates,and make sure that the car seat is as far from the dashboard as possible.

If your car has side airbags make sure your child sits properly in his seat and does not lean close to,or against,the door or window. Again,check with the manufacturer how far the airbag comes out,as it deploys.

These are a few simple measures which should be followed for the safety of the young ones while travelling in a car. 

The writer is a car rallyist,consultant for various car manufacturers and is running an automobile workshop in Chandigarh.