Salim and Salimah,

Safe and Sound --'~ ;-'~ - ->~-

CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY GUIDE






















There are 101 reasons not to strap your child in a safety seat
every one of them is a killer!


Contents

Choosing a safety seat
Seatbelts and airbags
Expectant mothers
Special needs
Buying a safer car



Al Mustadaama (Sustainability) LLC, 2005. This material may be reproduced free of charge for educational, non-commercial purposes
provided that the source of the material is identified and the copyright acknowledged. www.salimandsalimah.org


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CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY GUIDE
Choosing a child safety seat
The best protection for your child in a crash is a child safety seat appropriate to his size. In a crash properly
restrained children come to a gradual stop along with the vehicle. But any child inside the vehicle who is not
restrained or is loosely restrained will continue to move forward at the same speed of the vehicle before the
crash until he slams into the car's hard, sharp interior surfaces or is catapulted through the windscreen onto
the road outside.
Types of seats the Four Stages



Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4
The best seat for a child is one that fits him or her and this is determined by the childs weight, not age.
Child safety seats are often described in terms of 'Stages' which correspond to certain weight ranges. Some
safety seats are convertible or designed to overlap more than one stage. Read the manufacturer's
instructions to check if a seat is suitable for your child and check that it fits your vehicle.
Reduce the risk of your childs death in a crash by almost 70% by using the correct safety
restraint.
Stage Type of Child Restraint Weight Range Approx Age Range

Stage 1 Rearward-facing infant seat (two types) Babies up to 9/13kg birth to 12-15 months
Stage 2 Forward-facing child seat 9-18 kg 9 months - 4 years
Stage 3 Booster Seat 15 - 25 kg 4 to 6 years
Stage 4 Booster Cushion 22 - 36 kg 6 - 11 years
Watch a video on installing child safety seats at
http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/division/generic.jsp?id=77971


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Stage 1
Rear-facing Infant Seat (2 types) to a minimum of 1 year old
For babies from birth up to 9kg
For babies from birth up to 13kg
Infants are at greater risk of injury in crashes because their heads are large in
proportion to their bodies, their neck bones are soft and the ligaments that
help support the neck are stretchy. An infant seat cradles a babys head, neck
and spine protecting him from sudden movement and spreading crash forces
across his back.
Child trauma specialists now recommend you put your baby in a rear-facing infant seat from birth until he is
at least 1 year old and weighs at least 9kg. That means that if your baby reaches 9kg before his first
birthday, he should remain rear-facing until he reaches one year old. If your baby is more than 1 year old but
weighs 8.5 kg, he should remain rear-facing until he weighs 9kg.
Only move your baby to a forward-facing safety seat once he has exceeded the maximum weight for the
baby seat, or the top of his head is higher than the top of the seat. Never put a rear-facing infant seat in the
front seat of a car with an airbag unless it has been deactivated (See further under Seatbelts and airbags).
Remember: the safest place for your baby's safety seat is in the back seat of your vehicle.
If your infant is premature, or is very small, a car bed may be required instead of an ordinary car seat (see
below under Special needs).
Stage 2
Forward facing child seat with built-in harness
For small children from at least 1 year old and at least 9kg up to
18kg
Keep your toddler in the rear-facing position up to the maximum
weight allowed by the seat (check your car seat instruction manual or
seat label for details) and as long as the top of her head is below the
top of the safety seat back. When your toddler reaches the highest
weight allowed by your rear-facing seat, you need to move her to a
forward-facing child safety seat. The built-in harness will hold her in
place in the event of a collision and distribute the impact forces evenly
over her body. The sides of the seat cushion the delicate head and neck.
Remember: always install the safety seat in the back seat of your vehicle.


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Stage 3
High-back belt-positioning booster seat
For children from 15 - 25 kg
Once your child completely outgrows a Stage 2 safety seat you should
switch her to a high-back belt-positioning booster seat held in the back of
the vehicle by a lap-shoulder seat belt.
Research has shown that the use of belt-positioning booster seats lowers the risk of injury to children by
nearly 60 percent compared to the use of seat belts for this age group. The booster seat can prevent injuries
in a crash because it is designed to position the lap/shoulder belt of your car correctly over your childs
shoulders and upper thighs instead of over the stomach or against the neck. A high-back seat also provides
support for the upper body, head and neck.
Some Booster seats are designed to be converted into a booster cushion by detaching the back rest.
Remember: always install the booster seat in the back seat of your vehicle.
Stage 4
Booster cushion
For children up to 36kg and at least 145cm tall
A booster cushion raises your childs body so that the lap/shoulder belt is
properly positioned over your childs shoulders and upper thighs instead of
over the stomach or against the neck to prevent injuries in a crash. You can
use these in vehicles only with high seat backs or head rests until your child is
tall enough to graduate safely to an adult seatbelt but beware, in a collision,
they will not offer as much protection for the head and neck as a high-back
booster.

Remember: always install the booster seat in the back seat of your vehicle.


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Because your child deserves a safe ride
Watch a video on installing child safety seats at
http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/division/generic.jsp?id=77971














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Seatbelt and airbags
Protecting the lives of older children is as important as protecting the lives of
little ones. Many children between the ages of 3 and 8 are graduated too early
from a child safety seat to an adult seatbelt. Seatbelts are designed for adults,
not for children under 145cm. In a crash, a child seated in a seatbelt may flip
over the top of the lap belt or submarine under it suffering grave injuries.
Your child is ready to wear a seatbelt only when he is tall enough to sit against the vehicle's seat back with
his legs bent at the edge of the seat, the knees and feet hanging down comfortably. The shoulder belt should
lie across the centre of his chest, not across the neck or face. The lap belt is low and tight across the top of
the thighs, not high across the abdomen. (Images from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia website).
Correct: 6 year old child secured in booster seat

Incorrect: 6 year old child in adult belt with shoulder strap under his arm

Never allow your child to sit in a lap only belt. In a collision, his body will stretch forward over the lap belt
literally pulling the spine apart. For the same reason, you should never allow a child to put the shoulder belt
behind his back or under his arm. You can use shoulder belt height adjusters built into the vehicle to make
the shoulder belt fit better. Don't buy after-market or "add-on" belt adjusters. There are no safety standards
for these products.
Correct restraint: 6 year old child secured in booster seat

Incorrect restraint: 6 year old child in a lap belt



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Airbags
Airbags are supplemental restraints designed to work in combination with seatbelts. While the new
generation of airbags provide some safety benefits for adults (provided they are also wearing a seatbelt),
they are not a substitute for seatbelts or child restraints. On the contrary, a child who sits unrestrained or
improperly restrained next to an airbag is at risk of death or serious injury. In order to be effective, airbags
deploy in a fraction of a second with considerable force at speeds of up to 300 kph. Because airbags are
designed to cushion taller adult bodies in a head-on collision, a childs head and chest or a rear-facing infant
seat takes the full force of this detonation and hundreds have died in America because of this.
Never seat a child in a safety seat or otherwise next to an airbag unless you have first deactivated the on-off
switch. If you must transport children in the front seat and your vehicle does not have an on-off switch,
consult the vehicle manufacturer about installing one. Watch a short video and learn more about
airbags at http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/division/generic.jsp?id=77971.
Expectant Mothers
Your body is your unborn child's first and last protection against fatal injury in a crash. Unborn babies die
every year because of crash injuries to pregnant mothers who did not wear seatbelts. If you travel without a
seatbelt, when your car stops suddenly your body will keep moving forward until it hits something; the seat
in front, dashboard, windscreen or even the road outside. Your seatbelt is designed to stretch with you,
distribute the crash forces evenly over your body and slow you down until your body and baby come to rest.
The proper way to wear a seatbelt during pregnancy is to:-
Place the diagonal strap over the centre of the chest with the strap
resting over the shoulder, not the neck.
Place the lap belt flat on the thighs, fitting comfortably beneath the
baby, and over the pelvis not across the abdomen
Wear the belt as tight as possible.
Do not wear 'lap-only' belts as opposed to shoulder and lap belts as
they have been shown to cause serious injury to unborn children.
Remember seatbelts are not designed for comfort, they are designed for safety. Wear one every ride
and sit in the back of the vehicle if you can. When driving, push the seat well back from the steering wheel
and reduce your driving in the last 3 months of pregnancy.
Use a child safety seat appropriate to your childs weight on every ride starting with the first ride home
from the hospital. Experts advise parents to be to buy the seat well in advance of the birth to be sure it fits
the car. In some countries, hospitals require cars to have a properly installed infant car seat before mothers
are allowed home with their babies. Doesn't your baby deserve as much thought and care?


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Special needs
Premature babies
If your child was born prematurely, is very small or has special
needs because of medical conditions, you will need to be extra
careful when transporting her. Instead of a standard child safety
seat, she may need to travel in a car bed which allows her to lie
down while travelling. It is recommended that medical staff
evaluate all infants born earlier than 37 weeks before their first
trip home in case they are not ready to ride in an upright position
in a standard car seat. If that is the case, you will need to buy or
borrow a special car bed. Some very small babies may also need to use a car bed.
Children with special needs
All children deserve to be transported as safely as possible. Certain health problems may prevent some
children from using many of the standard child safety seats found in retail stores. Children with breathing
problems, casts or other health care needs may need to use special child safety seats, car beds or vests.
Consult your paediatrician about your child's transportation needs and keep up to date with new
developments in car safety seats. The Web sites listed below can help you choose a car seat to help keep
your child with special needs safe in a vehicle.
American Academy of Pediatrics' Guide to Car seats for Children with Special Needs
American Academy of Pediatrics: Choosing Car Seats for Children with Special Needs Product
Information
Riley Hospital for Children: Special Needs Transportation
Air Travel
It is recommended that all passengers fly buckled up at all times to protect against unexpected turbulence.
This includes babies and children being buckled up in child safety seats. Check the links below for information
on how to keep your children safe while travelling in an airplane.
Safe Ride News
Flying and Child Safety Seats






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Buying a safer car
Demand better for your family
If you are in doubt that this is one of the most important decisions you'll ever make, watch our film clips on
www.salimandsalimah.org now.

Safety is one of the most important considerations when buying a car but in Oman respondents to the 2005
behavioural survey ranked it a distant 6th in importance after price, performance, fuel economy, image and
spare parts availability. Unfortunately, general awareness and availability of features which enhance child
passenger safety is low among consumers and most car retailers in Oman.
In contrast, the twin pressures of public alarm and government regulation in
countries such as Australia, USA and in Europe have driven car manufacturers to
design and innovate in the field of vehicle safety to an unprecedented degree in the
recent years. Certain child passenger safety features such as LATCH have been
compulsory in the US and Australia since 2002.
These developments, in combination with concerted,
multi-sectoral public awareness campaigns have achieved a dramatic reduction in
the toll of child death and injury in these countries. Unfortunately in Oman, the
absence of both consumer demand and government regulation, allows mass-
market car retailers to supply vehicles which do not meet these safety standards.
Create a market for safety
As a consumer you have the power to create change. Next time you buy a car, make your voice heard.
Forget raffle tickets or gift hampers. The best gift you can get with a new car is a child safety seat for every
child you carry.
Shop around, even outside your price range, to understand what safety features are available. Look for a car
which can safely accommodate every member of your family and then ask your chosen car retailer what he is
doing to provide:
Built-in child safety seats (designed for children over one year, these drop down out of the back seat
and can be pushed back to accommodate adult passengers).
LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) system which makes installing a child safety seat
without a seatbelt easier (also called ISOFIX and Uniform Attachments)
A lap and shoulder belt in the back centre seat (not lap belt alone);
Adjustable upper belts in the back seats (this lets you safely adjust the upper belt to fit the size of
the occupant);
An On/Off switch with warning light for frontal airbags;
Seatbelt reminder for drivers (always set a good example by buckling up)


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Read more about the LATCH system at http://www.actsinc.org/childpass-7.cfm and about safer cars for child
passengers at http://www.safercar.gov/pages/ResourcesLinksBSC.htm

Golden Safety Rules
Choose a safety seat that fits your child
Follow instructions and check that the seat is secured tightly in the car
Never carry a child on your lap or on the front seat next to an airbag
Never allow a child to sit with the strap of a seatbelt under his arm
Buckle up children under 12 in the safety zone in the back seat
Do not use your GSM while driving