Children and Vehicle Safety
Not ensuring your child’s safety in cars is tantamount to child abuse

Few would argue that this make of vehicle could be considered one of the safest models in the market. However, as the saying goes, “a chain is only as strong as its weakest link” and if a manufacturer’s guidelines are not adhered to occupant safety can be compromised.

These photos, taken on Sunday morning, 26 August 2007, of this vehicle traveling on a highway at over 100km’s per hour reveal that, although the driver of the vehicle is wearing his safety belt, there are two children (probably aged between 4 and 7 years old) leaning on the dashboard of the car on the passenger side.
This model as well as most other new cars has an airbag in the passenger side of the dashboard. In the event of an accident airbags, in conjunction with appropriately worn seatbelts, have proven very effective in minimizing the risk of injury or death. However, in this case, if this vehicle was involved in an accident, even at a much lower speed, the airbags could be deployed (at between 200 and 300 km an hour) which would instantly kill the two young passengers leaning right over it.

On Tuesday, 28 August 2007, an accident occurred on the same highway that involved 2 passenger vehicles and two trucks. The one vehicle was the same model as the one in the photos above… just imagine what would have happened to these innocent children.

Are you a potential “child abuser” because you don’t ensure your children are safely strapped in?