Govt not ready to make use of child seats compulsory

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Liow fastens the seat belt for a child during the campaign. — Bernama photo

Liow fastens the seat belt for a child during the campaign. — Bernama photo

KUALA LUMPUR: The government is not ready to make compulsory the use of child seats in cars on the grounds of cost, economy and low level of public awareness.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the aspect of public awareness must be prioritised and improved first as many parents still had lackadaisical attitude toward the use of child seats.

“We must educate them (parents) about the importance of using child seats in cars when travelling with children or infants. They must really understand why infants need their own special seats,” he said.

He said this to reporters after launching the 2015 national-level road safety campaign and integrated operation in conjunction with Hari Raya Aidilfitri at the Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS) here yesterday.

Liow said the fact that the child seat was relatively costly was also taken into account by the government in making its decision on the matter so as to avoid socio-economic repercussion, especially among low income earners and less fortunate.

Liow also refuted the report which stated that the government would enforce compulsory use of child seats in cars by 2017, clarifying that the government only proposed to do so in 2019.

On the use of rear seat belts, Liow said study found that only seven to nine per cent of passengers complied with the ruling since its enforcement in 2009.

“We cannot continue to flout the rule as it involves lives. The people must remember and realise their responsibility.

“If they can wear the seat belt when sitting in front of the car, why not when sitting at the rear seats?” he said.

On the campaign, Liow said the ministry aimed to reduce death toll due to road accidents during festive season by 10 per cent each year despite the increasing vehicles on the road.

He said the target was achievable as the death toll for every 10,000 vehicles had dropped from 4.51 deaths in 2004 to 2.90 in 2013. — Bernama