Transporting your children in the car is only normal. After all, it is a means of transport that can take everyone, including your family, from A to B. But do you know what the rules are regarding safely transporting your children in the car? Transporting your children in the car is only normal. After all, it is a means of transport that can take everyone, including your family, from A to B. But do you know what the rules are regarding safely transporting your children in the car?
Wearing your seat belt can make the difference between life and death
It is of course not possible to say with 100% certainty that wearing your seat belt will by definition save your life in the event of a car accident. But it has now been proven that it significantly increases your chances of survival. However, there are still people who object to wearing this belt and therefore do not wear it. Sometimes with disastrous consequences. And care providers can talk about that.
In 1967, the British government wanted to make it mandatory to wear seat belts. There was so much criticism that the adoption of the law had to be voted on 10 times. It was not until 1993, 26 years later, that wearing seat belts became mandatory in Great Britain. The effect was immediately noticeable: the number of road deaths and injuries decreased almost immediately by 25%!
Another decline in the number of road deaths in 2010: the figures
A total of 640 road deaths occurred in 2010. Fortunately, that was 80 fewer than in 2009. Research shows that the decline mainly occurred among people under the age of 40. The largest decrease can be seen among passenger car occupants and cyclists. Unfortunately, there has been a slight increase among pedestrians. The absolute decrease compared to 2009 is the continuation of a downward trend in recent years.
The highest number of road fatalities is still among people in their twenties, 114 in 2010. Friday and Saturday evenings are the times of the week when most accidents occur.
The majority of the decrease in the number of road deaths is reported to be due to cyclists and passenger car occupants. In 2010, the number of passenger and car fatalities decreased by 50 to 246. Compared to 2009, this number is 17 percent lower. On the other hand, this group of road users still has the absolute most traffic fatalities.
Mortality from traffic accidents has been showing a downward trend since the mid-1970s. At that time, more than 3 thousand people died in traffic every year. In the mid-1970s, it became mandatory, among other things, to wear seat belts in the front of the car and to wear a moped helmet. Since the year with the most fatal traffic accidents, 1972, the number of traffic fatalities has fallen by 80 percent. Wearing your seat belt pays off!
Drivers of both passenger cars and vans started wearing seat belts more often in 2010 than ever before. The use of child seats and the correct adjustment of headrests also increased. This is evident from a study commissioned by the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment. No fewer than 97% of drivers of passenger cars and 87% of van drivers were wearing their seat belts in 2010. The use of seat belts among passengers on the back seat of passenger cars also increased slightly in 2010 compared to previous years. Yet almost 1 in 5 rear passengers are still not wearing a seat belt. A very positive development is the decrease in the number of children transported without a seat belt or child seat. This number has fallen from 28% in 2002 to 6% in 2010.
More intensive checks and actual fining by the police of drivers and passengers who do not wear seat belts or do not wear them correctly certainly contributes to the positive development described above. The associated media campaigns also appear to be having an effect.
What are the rules for safely transporting your child?
Fortunately, there are fewer and fewer cars that do not have seat belts in the back. Nowadays it is standard, mainly older cars do not have them. These are slowly disappearing from the roads. However, legislation still has to take this into account: if there is no seat belt in the car, it is difficult to confront someone about not wearing a seat belt. Please note: this concerns the seat belts in the back! Always wear your seat belt at the front!
|
age |
in the front |
in the back |
||
|
belt available |
belt not present |
belt available |
belt not present |
|
|
< 3 years |
obliged to use an approved and suitable child safety system |
may not be transported in the front |
obliged to use an approved and suitable child safety system |
may not be transported in the front |
|
≥ 3 years up to 1.35 meters |
obliged to use an approved and suitable child safety system |
may not be transported in the front |
obliged to use an approved and suitable child safety system |
no need to wear a seat belt |
|
taller than 1.35 meters and adults |
mandatory to use seat belts; if necessary, also an approved child seat (booster seat) |
no need to wear a seat belt |
mandatory to use the seat belt; if necessary, also an approved child seat (booster seat) |
no need to wear a seat belt |
According to the definition in the legislation, anyone under the age of 18 is a child. A child seat must be approved according to ECE regulations 44/03 or 44/04. You will find this on the inspection label or sticker. To work properly, the child seat must be properly secured. Consult the seat manual for this.
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