Safer And Better On The Road

Accidents happen unexpectedly and are not deliberate. Traffic collision is a category of accident that can cause injury, death and damage to property. Deaths due to traffic collision, for instance in the United States with some of the most technological advances and safety measures is 40,000 annually. Though the safety requirements are increasing and accident rates are generally decreasing, the number of injured and deaths have been increasing. This is due to more traffic, rising population and more travelers.

There are two types of safety devices and systems. They are the active and passive safety devices and systems. The active safety devices and systems require the traveler to act. Fastening seat belt is one such action. The passive safety devices and systems operate on their own automatically and independent of any action of the traveler. The inflation of airbags on collision or sudden jerk is an example of this.

Children are more susceptible to accidents involving traveling in vehicles. Children are lighter and smaller than adults. They are the most vulnerable to sudden jerks and can easily be thrown off during collision impact. The safety measure such as active seat belts and airbags can be ineffective. It is recognized that children and infants need to be provided specific safety measures depending on their age, weight and height. Child seat, child safety locks, power window lockouts controlled by the driver to prevent opening of windows or doors by children inside the vehicle have become part of the mandatory safety measures in many countries.

There are specially designed seat for infants. These infant safety seats are secured to the automobile seat. When there are sudden jerks or collisions, the infant seat belt holds the child firmly. These are now a part of the safety regulations prescribed in some countries. There are different models of infant seat belts on sales in the market. Britax Frontier Seat has advanced shock-absorption and cushioning. These are also easy to set up.

Internationally the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe has set an international standard for baby and child seats called ‘Regulation R44-04’. ISOFIX standard has been developed by the International Organization for Standardization in 1990 for car seats.  The United States equivalent of this is the LACTH. Some manufacturers supply ISOFIX standard compliant baby seats.