Car accidents are the last thing car owners think of; in the normal non-suicidal cases. But in the recent past, to be honest, road carnage has been on the rise. The worst part of this is that innocent souls are being lost in this metal to metal, now metal to flesh clash; these souls consisting of the most innocent of all, babies. The question is why?
What kills most babies during a car crash, even in a rather “mild” one that the parents survived, is the violent surge that sends them crashing out of the car. Before we get into blaming drunk and careless driving, why don’t we think of why these babies so violently surge off? The answer; lack of baby car seats. Let us get into some basics.
What are car baby seats? Car baby seats are simply car seats designed for babies. The normal seat, with its normal seatbelt might save an adult but when it comes to babies, the design just doesn’t count. A baby car seat on the other hand firmly grips your baby and ensures a hard braking or violent crash doesn’t necessarily get him/her flying off the windscreen.
Are there any laws concerning baby car seats in Kuala Lumpur? Kuala Lumpur has been a victim of infant mortalities due to car crashes, primarily due to the lack of baby car seats. The government has been quite reluctant in implementing laws governing the mandatory use of these seats, but blaming the system will do us no good.
Clearly, there are no clear defined penalties for anyone who carries his/her child on the lap instead of a baby car seat. But that does not mean we should shy away from the underlying responsibility.
Figures show that the impact of a car crash at just 50km/h provides a forward surge on a 7kg baby, equivalent to an adult hitting the ground from a 5 storey fall. Can you handle that? Truth be told, you can’t. A baby car seat is thus important.
Now, most probably you are wondering, “Where can I get baby car seats?” Good question.
There are so many vendors providing baby car seats. Avis, Sixt, HAWK rent-a-car,EuropCar, Paradise Car Rental, SCR Car Rental, Green Matrix, Prima and Dyssey, Kasina rent-a-car, just to mention a few are some of the companies offering this vital product.
There is another way to compare all car rental companies in Kuala Lumpur by using comparison websites like rental24h.comMost of these companies offer baby car seat rental services, so you don’t need to have a permanent kit that would only be useful for a few years which is not quite convenient for the wise buyer. Apart from the long-term convenience, renting baby car seats eventually cuts down on the purchase costs that to be frank, can be quite high for a decent baby car seat.
Knowing the vendors is not enough. You need to know the various types available so as to make a more informed decision when getting one that will suit your baby. In particular, there are two major types you should know:
- ISOFIX
These are the most recommended baby car seats. They are firmly fixed to the car by an alternative, firmer system to the seatbelt so as to ensure at no point does your baby turn into a projectile. This type is the most recommended to the belt system; the reason why will be pointed out in the next type.
- The Seat-Belt type
Despite some people seeing this type as simple, this is the most dangerous of the two. Why? It is more likely for a misfit to occur when fitting this baby car seat to your car. Matter of fact, 30% are grossly fitted that at point of accident, the baby and the seat end up being deadly projectiles.
The big contributor to this statistic is the fact that the fitting of this type of baby car seat is entirely dependent on how it was fitted by the person in use of it at that time. Still, this does not mean that when well-fitted they are not as effective as the other type.
No matter the type of baby car seat you use, or where you get it from, this car accessory is a necessity if a baby’s life is to be saved. Correct use of the accessory is imperative and despite laws governing their use still in the shadows, but soon upcoming, baby car seats are a must have for any parent.
