In Cars, Local News, Safety / By Matthew H Tong / 19 July 2018 5:26 pm / 38 comments

The ruling on the mandatory use of child seats, which was supposed to be introduced in 2019, may not be enforced after all, according to transport minister Anthony Loke. As reported by the The Star, Loke said the Pakatan Harapan government was not bound to implement the ruling, which was made by the previous Barisan Nasional government.

“The announcement by the previous government on this matter may not be necessarily be implemented or enforced. The ministry needs to relook at the ruling and determine its practicality,” said Loke after visiting the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) in Kajang.

When the idea was first mooted, former transport minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said car owners travelling with young children would be compelled to have child seats in their vehicles by 2019. He also cited parents’ lackadaisical attitude towards the use of child seat usage, and that public awareness must be prioritised and improved before any sort of enforcement can commence.

Well, whether or not the ruling comes into play, it shouldn’t deter yourself – more so if you are a parent – from going the extra mile in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of your children. Too many innocent lives have been lost from this negligence, and it’s them who are at stake, not the amount of money you have left in your bank account.

We at paultan.org strongly believe that under no condition should a child (or any individual for that matter) ever be left unsecured in a moving vehicle. Kids who weigh under 25 kg (weight is a more accurate measure than age) must be placed in a child seat (Group 0+, 1 and 2, fitted in a rear-facing position for as long a period as possible), and those under 36 kg should be secured with seat belts, together with either a booster seat or booster cushion (Group 3). These are absolute necessities, not optional.

Also, it’s crucial that they be seated in the back, and not at the front. This is to position your kids away from the front airbags in case an accident happens. You should only ever place a child seat or booster seat in the front if your car has a front passenger airbag off switch (not all cars come with this feature), but treat this as your last resort.

Of course, never hold your child on your lap when sitting in front, or worse, driving. Your arms alone won’t be enough in restraining your child in a collision, plus you would also be subjecting them to the full force of the deploying airbag. This could potentially cause the child a broken neck, a fractured skull and other severe injuries. Lest you forget, you too, will be in harm’s way.

Once again, folks, there’s no guarantee that using a child seat would save a child’s life in the event of an accident, but the chances of survival are immensely higher, that’s for sure. Let us all be a bit more proactive when it comes to the safety of our children, shall we? For a better insight into child safety seats, watch the video below.