Being a parent is not an easy task, especially when your child isn’t listening to your warnings.
Recently, a dashcam recording that showed a falling out from a moving car has caught the attention of the public and went viral online.
The recording showed a black Myvi car had made a u-turn in the area around Bandar Tasik Puteri, Rawang when the baby fell from the car and landed in the middle of the road.
Shortly after that, the parents immediately came to rescue the child after they stopped their vehicle, rushed to the scene, and thanked the public for their help.
Following the incident, netizens urged the parents to use a car seat to ensure the safety of their children.
Mandatory to use child seat
In January 2020, the government passed a new ruling that makes it mandatory for all children below 135cm tall to be strapped into an approved child restraint system.
However, not all parents are aware of this rule and some even choose to not use it due to the cost involved.
Meanwhile, according to the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research, child seats can help reduce the risk of death by 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers compared to seatbelt use alone.
A study in 2019 found that these seats’ usage was only 49% in the Klang Valley, mainly because the seats aren’t cheap. This car seat for babies can cost around RM700 to RM800 and parents will have to spend more if they own more than one car or have more than one child.
How to properly use car seats
If you are thinking about buying one of these car seats yourself, learning how to choose and install them correctly is the next important thing.
Common errors include parents not using the right seat for the child’s loose attachment of the car seat in the vehicle or not having the retainer clip at the proper level.
Apart from that, the size of the car seats should be chosen depending on your child’s age, weight and height.
You should also read up the vehicle owner’s manual and the car seat manufacturer’s instructions before installing it in your car.
Meanwhile, you should also keep in mind that there are two ways to install child safety seats and vehicles using the seat belt or the latch system, which stands for lower anchors and tethers for children.
Be mindful to not use both systems to install the seat at the same time.
