Open the car door, let your child go up to the back seat alone and close the door below. Without placing you in a retention system according to your age and holding him only with the seat belt that we adults wear.
Unfortunately, I witness this kind of scenes every day at the gates of the school and I confess that my blood freezes. Children entering and leaving alone in vehicles in which they were not properly subject, or in child restraint systems (SRI) not according to their age. And I wonder, what leads some parents to act like this?
"Nothing will happen from here to there"
We parents want the best for our children and nobody in their right mind seeks to put their children in danger in a conscious way. At this point, we all know the obligation and importance of taking children less than 135 cm tall (preferably, up to 150 cm tall, as advised by the DGT) in a approved child restraint system. Why then it is not always done?
I have two theories about it:
- On the one hand, there would be the theory of "it will never happen to me"Surely we have once deeply regretted something that has happened to an acquaintance, but it has never occurred to us to think that this could also happen to us.
But unfortunately accidents happen, and never warn!. None of us are exempt from suffering them, and when it comes to the safety of the little ones, these kinds of thoughts or excuses should never have a place.
- On the other hand, there is the false belief that in short journeys it is difficult for something to happen. A large majority of our school families live in the same municipality and the journey by car does not exceed ten minutes.
"What can happen in ten minutes of travel where the speed limit indicated for the town is also not exceeded?" Well, the truth is that many things can happen. A dog that crosses, a ball that escapes towards the road or a child who unexpectedly runs away and forces us to give a blow or a sudden braking.
According to the latest Report on child safety in cars in Spain and Latin America, carried out by the Mapfre Foundation in 2016, the 63% of the seriously injured (between 0 and 14 years old), and 65% of minor injuries (between 0 and 14 years) in Spain in 2015, occurred in accidents on urban roads; that is, on town or city roads.
And according to statistics from the DGT, of the 25 children between 0 and 14 years of age who died in 2015 in traffic accidents, five of them did not carry any type of child restraint system.
Placing our son correctly in his seat, and making sure that the belt or harnesses are well fastened, is a simple gesture that will not take us more than two minutes and that can save his life.Other misuse of SRIs
But carrying the child in the arms inside the vehicle, or without holding any SRI is not the only thing that parents sometimes do wrong on road trips:
- Sometimes, SRIs that are not suitable for the age, weight and height of the child are used. Remember that the seats should not be a "fine-remover", but a security system that really guarantees that our child travels safely in it.
Travel as long as possible against the counter and use chairs according to the weight, age and size of our child, as well as correctly approved according to the two regulations in force (taking into account the changes that are coming from 2018), are the main safety measures that we must take into account when acquiring a SRI.
- Using old or damaged SRIs is also very dangerous, but unfortunately much more usual than we think. Inheriting car seats from friends, siblings or family members with several years of use is a little recommended practice, since the passage of time or even improper use may have worn them out or deteriorated.
Fundación Mapfre warns that the use of aged or damaged SRIs does not protect the child in the same way, being able to break due to the slowdown suffered in an accident.Likewise, if we suffer any mishap with a vehicle with installed chairs, it is advisable to replace them or consult with a specialized professional, in case they had suffered any damage that compromises the future safety of the child.
- According to some experts, 63% of children do not travel correctly when they are driving due to misuse of the seat. And it is useless to have a chair approved in weight, height and age, if it is not properly anchored to the vehicle, or if the seat belt that retains it is not properly tensioned.
It is also important monitor the seat harnesses, since if they have a lot of slack, the child could take out his arms or compromise their correct effectiveness in case of braking or collision.
- Take our children in their chair with their coat on, is another bad habit we have. Now that we have started with the cold season, we must take this into account, and know that it is preferable for two minutes of cold to pass until the car acclimates, to travel in a coat that counteracts the safety of the chair.
Therefore, it is vital for our children that adults, be aware of the seriousness of our actions when we do not take children properly tied in an appropriate and approved SRI.
Nothing and no one can free us from suffering an accident, but in our hands it is in the best possible way to protect what we most wantIStock Photos
In Babies and More Parents, they warn about the importance of using the car seat: the safety belt cut the middle of the 6-year-old daughter's abdomen, The majority of children killed in a traffic accident are not subject to the restraint system, Children always have to travel with adequate restraint systems, A mother's painful message about child seats, 12 years after losing her child
