‘Need to implement Child Restraint Laws’

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Fatimah speaks on child passenger safety when closing the workshop and opening the new PPBS office. — Photo by Jeffery Mostapa

KUCHING: Welfare, Women and Family Development Ministry is hoping the government will implement the Child Restraint Laws after achieving a level of public awareness on child restraint systems.

Its Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah said there was a need to strengthen advocacy leadership for developing child passenger safety culture to achieve level awareness. Associations like ‘Association of Registered Child Caregivers Malaysia (PPBSM)’ play an important role in advocating for the child restraint laws to be enacted.

“According to the World Health Organisation 2013, child restraint systems are the most important measure for children in preventing road traffic injuries.

“Child restraint systems are the equivalent of seat belts for children. Finding the right child restraint system – based on age and weight – is a vital part of protecting our children,” she said at the closing ceremony of ‘ Child Passenger Safety Workshop for Operators 2015’ and opening of the new Association of Registered Child Caregivers Sarawak (PPBS) office at Jalan Sekama yesterday.

Citing an example, Fatimah said Child Restraint Law in Carolina states that every driver of a motor vehicle on highways and streets when transporting a child five years of age or younger on public streets and highways of the state must provide an appropriate child passenger restraint system. Violators are subjected to a RM150 fine.

The child restraint system must be accessible and affordable by anyone for the Child Restraint Law to be implemented. Infant seats reduce deaths among infants by 70 per cent, infant seats and booster seats reduce death among children aged one to four by 54 per cent. Proper use of booster seats can reduce by 50 per cent the chances of injuries among children aged four to seven. Helmets are 90 per cent effective in preventing head injuries and children without them are 40 per cent more likely to die in an accident.

Fatimah said only one Southeast Asia nation has Child Restraint Laws. According to Miros Report 2013, road injuries are the number one cause of death among Malaysian children.

The WHO Global Road Safety Report Safety Report in April 2013 revealed that road traffic accident deaths in Malaysia reached 8,031 or 7.85 per cent of total deaths.

She said a research revealed that Malaysian road users ranked the worst in Southeast Asia and third in the world for road fatalities. On June 9 2014, a child (toddler) Mohd Fiffy died as a result of being thrown out of the car.

“Every child has a right to be safe on the road, we need to do our part to fulfil this right,” she said. PPBM president Datin Wong Poi Hong and PPBS president Ng Lee Boon were among those present yesterday. The PPBM, PPBS and Volkswagen Das Auto jointly held the workshop to create awareness of child passenger safety to childcare centre operators as a preventive measure to reduce risk of injuries and deaths of young children linked to improper or non-use of child safety seats or helmets.