Let's stop killing our children on the roads

By REBECCA WALSH

New car design regulations and improved child-seat standards would reduce the number of children killed on New Zealand roads, say child safety experts.

Each year, about 25 child passengers die on our roads and around 390 are sent to hospital.

Kidsafe Week organisers say that while use of child restraints has improved slightly, children are still standing in the front seat or being strapped into car seats that are not installed properly.

On average, 105 children aged from birth to 14 die from an unintentional (accidental) injury in New Zealand each year. Car crashes account for close to 40 per cent of those deaths. Sixty-five per cent of children die as passengers in a vehicle and 34 per cent are killed as pedestrians.

Maori children, who make up 25 per cent of the child population, account for 37 per cent of child passenger deaths.

A pilot study this year by Otago University's Injury Prevention Research Unit found 65 per cent of parents were incorrectly using or installing infant and child seats.

Researcher Dr John Wren says the main problems were not bolting the top strap to the car, not using harnesses properly and not using the locking clips on car seats.

Many parents found it difficult to put the top strap in place, and some did not want to put an anchor hole in the car. But if the top strap is not anchored properly the seat can be thrown forward.

The most common reasons given for incorrect use of car seats were a lack of clear information on installing seats and poor vehicle and car seat design.

Social and economic factors also played a part. Baby seats cost up to $300 and can become costly for families with more than one child. Many families had to sell their three-door hatchback models to fit the seats in.

Coping with screaming 2-year-olds who do not want to go in the child seat and older children who want to sit in the seats for "grown-ups" can make parents give in.

Dr Wren says one way of handling that is to say that the car will not go anywhere until the child is strapped in, or explain that a booster seat is more comfortable and it is easier to see out the windows.

It is also vital that parents set a good example by wearing their seatbelts.

But many parents are confused by the array of seats on the market.

Car seats here can meet one of three standards - the Australian/New Zealand standard, the United States, or the European standards.

Safekids wants the Government to reduce that to one - the Australian/New Zealand standard - to avoid confusion and improve standards.

It also wants changes in the design and manufacture of vehicles, for example, ensuring new cars have anchor points to which car seats can be connected.

Car safety: fast facts

* Children under 5 must be properly restrained by an approved child restraint when travelling in a car or van.

* Those aged between 5 and 8 must use an approved child restraint, booster seat, or an adult safety belt.

* Researchers say parents move children out of child restraints and into booster seats too early. Also, many children are too small for adult seats and safety belts, and face an increased risk of abdominal and head injuries in a crash.

* Plunket recommends that parents drive with children in child restraints until they are too big to fit properly.

* Michael Cummins, senior education adviser at the Land Transport Safety Authority, recommends children stay in booster seats until they reach 26kg.

* Free child car seat checks will be held during Kidsafe Week, which runs from October 12 to October 19. Check the website or call (09) 828-0503.

Kidsafe website