Precautions For Kids In Cars
Posted on July 2, 2008, under Health.
Studies have found that normal seat belts are unsuitable for children.Instead, they should be secured with special restraints and booster seats for a safe journey.Motor vehicle-related injury is the leading cause of death for children.Kids not restrained a seatbelt are at great risk of harm.A child without seatbelt in a 30 mile-per-hour crash is like a child dropped from a third story window.As per the statistics from the Shepard Spinal Injury Centre in USA, less than1% of all crash related pediatric were using belts at the time of the crash.
However the restraints/seatbelt normally provided in vehicles are for adult use and should not be used for children.
In the UK, seatbelt use was made mandatory for child passengers under the age of 14 in 1989.But it was observed that this measure was accompanied by a 10% increase in fatalities and a 12% increase in injuries among the target population.It was found that when small children wearing adult seatbelt are involved in crashes, they can suffer characteristic “seat-belt syndrome” injuries including severed intestines, ruptured diaphragms and spinal damage.Consequently, it is now made mandatory in many places that child passengers should use specially designed child restraints.Most children less than age 8 and less than 80 pounds in weight must be restrained in a child restraint or booster seat.
For an infant and young child no part of body is strong enough, so the restraint should support the entire body.In many countries, children must be at least age 8 or at least 80 pounds in weight before being legally allowed to be buckled in by just a lap and shoulder belt.Children are also forbidden to travel in front car seats.
An improperly used seatbelt can also harm the fetus in a pregnant mother.The fetus is protected by a sac full of amniotic fluid.The proper use of a seat belt will divert the pressure points off the sac, and thus the fetus would only be minimally affected.Pregnant women should wear lap belt low over the pelvic bones and not against the soft stomach area.
