This week the General Directorate of Traffic will be monitoring the use of the seat belt and of child restraint systems (SRI) on urban and interurban roads. Both are obligatory for the occupants of the vehicles, regardless of the duration of the journey, and their use is saving many lives worldwide.
According to various studies of the European Union, fastening the seat belt when traveling in a vehicle would save the lives of more than 7,000 people in the European Union every year
One of the objectives set forth in the Road Safety Strategy approved by the Government for the years 2011-2020 is to ensure that No child loses his life by not sitting in a chair appropriate to his weight and size. To achieve this goal it is essential that parents or adults transporting minors are aware of the importance of their use since SRIs are the best life insurance of the child.
In 2012, 11 of the 36 deceased minors who traveled in tourism or van in interurban roads did not wear any retention system. Worst situation occurred in urban roads, where the 4 children who died in tourism none carried a retention device.
If the movements of minors in vehicles are made by adults, whose responsibility will it be?
Parents or adults should set an example by always putting on a seatbelt, since children act by imitation.
Don't let your guard down on short journeys. Traveling from home to school is where the greatest number of risk behaviors accumulate.
Never carry children in your arms.
Harnesses or belts should fit tightly, without gaps and over the shoulder. They have to be comfortable and safe.
When acquiring a child restraint system it is important to verify that the chair is approved and that the installation of it in the vehicle is correct. The best option is anchoring using the ISOFIX system. A poorly placed seat multiplies the risk of child death by four in the event of a traffic accident.
Very important is deactivate the airbag when the chair is placed in the front seat, in the opposite direction to the march.
The following chart briefly explains how to take children under 12 years old (and I remind you of the most frequent mistakes we make)
As I told you, during this week that the Civil Guard Traffic Association agents and the regional and local police who joined the campaign have just begun, will increase the monitoring of the use of the seat belt and systems of child restraint both on interurban and urban roads, since the use of the belt on urban roads is lower than that used on interurban roads.
I think we should have a vision more oriented to the safety and protection of ours, I mean: 'I take the child in his chair because I want to do things well'. However, corrective measures are sometimes necessaryFor example, if you are reported for committing a serious offense, the penalty is 200 euros and loss of three points.
