Taking the children to school , in addition to being an obligation, can become a very stressful activity and in which we can commit some imprudence due to our nervous state, morning fatigue or any other reason.
That is why the General Directorate of Traffic knows that this time period is one of the most complicated and in which more attention has to be paid so that parents take their children to school with all the guarantees of road safety. Some of the behaviors that are most tried to avoid are the following.
Traveling without an appropriate child restraint system
For the little ones in the house, up to 135 centimeters in height, it is mandatory to always travel with a child restraint system adapted to their weight and size. As a general rule, they should always go in the back seats. In the event of an accident, the minor who does not go with his SRI correctly installed and fastened can suffer very serious injuries and, in addition, becomes a projectile that can hit the other occupants of the vehicle .
From 135 centimeters in height, children under 12 years of height equal to or greater than this measurement can directly use the vehicle’s seat belts .
Within this possibility, up to 150 centimeters it is recommended that minors continue to use CRS approved for their size and weight. In all cases, the diagonal band of the belt must pass over the clavicle, over the shoulder and well against the chest, while the ventral band must be as low as possible on the hip. If the shoulder strap touches the neck or goes under the chin, the child should continue to use a booster seat.
The ISOFIX anchorage system is, to date, the safest and most effective in terms of passive road safety thanks to the simplification it provides in the installation of the seat and its ability to absorb energy.
An SRI can save thousands of lives
According to the World Health Organization, the seat belt is one of the inventions that has saved the most lives . In Spain, they have been mandatory on the road since 1974 and in urban areas since 1992. In Europe, child road accidents continue to be a concern.
Every year at least 1,000 children die and another 80,000 are injured. But this situation is much more painful if we take into account that 75% of infant deaths and 90% of serious injuries could have been avoided if the little ones had traveled correctly in the car, in special seats and with the appropriate measures. .
In addition to what has already been mentioned, you must take into account some issues related to child restraint systems established by the DGT:
- Choose the appropriate restraint system based on the weight and size of the child, and not based on their age. Data such as age or size should only serve as a first orientation.
- Check that the chosen system is approved, which means that it has satisfactorily passed a series of tests: resistance of straps, buckles, metal parts, behavior of components against cold, heat, corrosion, abrasion, traction , etc.
- The product must have an approval label, perfectly sewn or glued, in which all the information is collected in a clear, legible and easily locatable way.
- Before buying the seat or any other child restraint system, it is convenient to try it to see that it is well fixed and that it is comfortable for the type of vehicle in which you are going to use it.
- Install the seat in the vehicle correctly, following the instructions that come with it, so that it is fixed to the structure of the vehicle or to its belts. It is necessary to adjust and fasten the seat belts well.
- Do not invert protection systems designed by the manufacturer only to be installed in the direction of travel. Please refer to the instructions on this.
- If the car has an airbag in any of the seats, front or rear, as has been said, never place the seat in it, unless it can be disconnected. The speed and force with which the airbag is deployed could seriously injure the child, even if the crash did not occur at high speed.
- It is not recommended that a child use an adult seat belt. Two minors should never share the same seat belt.
- After an accident, the seat must be changed, since it may have suffered some breakage or deterioration that affects its safety.
- Never carry a child in your arms, because in the event of an accident, at only 5 km/h, no adult would be able to hold them.
- You should also not let the child stand between the seats, much less put a bar to hold onto it because if there is an accident, the child will be thrown against the elements inside the vehicle.
- Children should never lie down in the rear seat because in the event of an accident they can be seriously injured.
- It is important to set a good example for children. If you don’t use the belt, you can’t require your child to use their own restraint system.
- As the child grows, your sensitivity towards child safety decreases, so that from the age of four it is usually more common that an adequate safety system is not used. However, your obligation is to protect him until the little one reaches a height of 1.35 m, at which time he will be able to use the normal vehicle belts or continue using a restraint device approved for his size and weight.