Traffic mishaps abound in the Philippines, so it naturally comes as a surprise that no laws have been implemented to uphold kid car seat safety in vehicles.
“It is very unfortunate that despite the risks we face daily in accident-prone roads such as Metro Manila we are not doing anything to protect the most precious passenger inside our cars,” Einstein Rojas, New Vois Association of the Philippines (NVAP) project manager on road safety, told the Manila Bulletin.
The Child Safety in Motor Vehicles act of 2017 hopes to change all of this by requiring all private vehicle owners to install child restraint systems, like car seats.
600 children die in road accidents each year
From 2006 to 2014, more than 600 children have died in motor accidents each year. Thus, installing a car seat safety system for kids 0 to 12 years of age should be mandatory. The World Health Organization states that car seats can reduce the risk of injury by up to 80% for kids aged o to 4.
So it’s good to know that the House committee on transportation has approved a bill that seeks to change all of this. Under this bill, children aboard private vehicles must be secured in a restraint system, or specifically a car seat, while in transit.
The authors of the bill believe that the existing Philippine seat belt law is not enough, as it does not require the use of restraints or other devices that protect and secure young children while in transit.
Because of their small size, regular seat belts are too big to secure them. In the event of an accident, a car seat could truly save a child’s life.
Car accidents are the second leading cause of death in kids, next to drowning
“In its Health Policy notes, the Department of Health stressed that among children 0 to 17 years of age, road crashes are the second leading cause of death next to drowning,” revealed Catanduanes’ Cesar Sarmiento, chair of the House committee on transportation.
In addition to this, the proposed measure would also keep children under the age of 12 cannot ride in the front seat of a vehicle.
Those who violate this bill, which will hopefully be implemented soon, will be fined as follows:
1st offense: P1,000
2nd offense: P2,000
3rd offense: P5,000 in addition to driver’s license suspension for one year.
The Department of Trade and Industry also plans to regulate local and foreign products to make sure they pass their safety standards.
sources: Rappler, Manila Bulletin, Senate.gov.ph
READ: Car seat safety in the Philippines: Why it should be a priority for parents