Car seats for children: Govt must help get the cost down

[Lite Beer]

EDITORIAL
Car seats for children: Govt must help get the cost down
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The govt could reduce child road deaths by axing the 30-per-cent surcharge it imposes on foreign-made car seats

It's not a difficult thing to do but no one seems to know why Thai parents have been so reluctant to take them up. We are talking about the use of child car seats.

According to a recent study, child car seats can boost safety for infants by 70 per cent.

In 2011, 614 children under the age of 15 died from road accidents. Some 21 per cent were infants and of the total, 101 were inside a car.

Thai children's deaths in road accidents, second only to deaths by drowning, have been blamed on as few as 1 per cent of parents using child car seats, according to a study by Dr Adisak Plitponkarnpim, director of Ramathibodi Hospital's Child Safety Promotion and Injury Prevention Research Centre.

Dr Adisak called on the government to cut down on import tax on foreign-made car seats so more parents can afford them. Currently, there is a 30-per-cent surcharge on child car seats. A little dent in state revenue could help save many lives. In fact, if this research tells us anything it is that such a measure may save the country a bundle in health costs spent on the treatment of injured children.

Dr Adisak also urged national authorities to strictly enforce traffic laws, adding that parents should put their children in the backseat, as it is five times safer.

Child deaths rise significantly during the Songkran holiday, and most of the children killed in road accidents were either not wearing a seatbelt or not secured in car seats.

The very principle of safety should not confined to infants and toddlers. We need to extend this to older children and adults as well, in personal vehicles or on public transport - anybody, either in a personal capacity or working for a company or agency, has a moral obligation and legal duty to ensure people are transported safely.

Too often we see public buses with broken windows with glass clanking as the bus moves along the bumpy road. Passengers sitting next to it can only hope that the grace of God can hold such damaged glass together.

Essentially, this is about enforcing regulations concerning public safety. If the government inspectors don't do their job, and if the bus conductors and the company which they work for fail to property inspect the vehicle for safety purposes, they put other people's lives on the line.

Thailand has passed laws and safety regulation about road safety. There was an initial hoopla about the use of seatbelts. Checkpoints were set up to make sure people put on their seat belt. But it didn't take long before that campaign went away from the public's mind.

The lack of an adequate road safety campaign is part of this sad national malaise. The other part has to do with the lack of public concern about safety. Whenever a high profile case makes headlines, officials are out full throttle, analysing and commenting about what has to be done to improve the situation.

Be it gruesome road accidents or capsizing of river-boat taxis, or accidents at construction sites, we have heard and seen them all.

But numbers don't lie and the recent research by the Child Safety Promotion and Injury Prevention Research Centre is a case in point.

Again, we shouldn't just wait for the government to push for change. The public, too, has to do its part.

-- The Nation 2014-04-13

[noitom]

So the Thai press should call out the Toyotas, Hondas, and the high priced foreign cars. Call them out and do a Ralph Nader on them. Thailand needs a few Ralph Naders.

[impulse]

So the Thai press should call out the Toyotas, Hondas, and the high priced foreign cars. Call them out and do a Ralph Nader on them. Thailand needs a few Ralph Naders.

Any Ralph Nader of Thailand would still be in jail under defamation charges brought by the Thai equivalent of GM.

Thailand needs to adopt "rule of law" instead of "rule by law" before they can benefit from gadflies like Nader.

Edited April 13, 2014 by impulse

[meatboy]

kids in car seats in Thailand,they wont put on a seat belt that's already in the car.

WHAT NEXT?

[JeremyBowskill]

Simply not driving like idiots might have more effect..........and can be done without paying 1 satang!

[jvs]

People who can afford to buy a car can also afford to buy a carseat,but as long as the additude is mai pen rai things will not chance.

[PatOngo]

...................but they don't fit on the seat of a motorcycle!

[chainarong]

Another wonderful way for the Government to subsidize , along with gas conversion , instead of new car buying , no , no votes in this , sorry.

[kurnell]

The 'less than 1%' will be Thai mixed kids. Thais don't use car seats at all.

[selftaopath]

kids in car seats in Thailand,they wont put on a seat belt that's already in the car.

WHAT NEXT?

I've been told more than once "Thailand" mean Free Men. Thai people claim being FREE to do what they want. What can be done if this mentality and lack of rule of law persists?

[tx22cb]

Reducing the import tax of child car seats would only benefit a small segment of society who would have bought them anyway. Reducing the price from 15,000 to 12,000 Baht is not going to result in Somchai buying one.

The Govt should encourage the local production of quality child car seats to drastically reduce the price (to, say, 3,000 Baht) - this way, more people would actually buy one.

Knowing the influence of TV, it would help if the Thai soaps/movies were to show children in car seats.

[worgeordie]

Think I smell the next populist policy,buy millions of sub standard kids car seats

from China at well over the market rate,with a nice commission,pay up front for

them,and make a little fuss when they are not delivered as promised,sound familiar?

regards Worgeordie

[ChrisY1]

"It's not a difficult thing to do but no one seems to know why Thai parents have been so reluctant to take them up."

No-one seems to know why.......pretty much says it all!

[thesetat2013]

kids in car seats in Thailand,they wont put on a seat belt that's already in the car.

WHAT NEXT?

Next would be having a real drivers license and real penalties for driving without one

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Why ask]

So, car seats, in order to beome cheaper, will now become like plastic bowls with a few fixture clips (similar to an inverted Thai standard bike helmet?)...

I have my new child seat...... now, let me see.... where are those Isofix points in the back of my Isuzu 4x4 again?

[scorecard]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

The 'less than 1%' will be Thai mixed kids. Thais don't use car seats at all.

A twist of this point - my Thai sons two kids are well trained to put on their seats belts in the front and the rear seats.

Sons Thai sister in law (about 40 years old) visits from time to time.

When they all get in the car my sons kids automatically buckle up. Aunty was then automatically unbuckling them. My son told her not to unbuckle the kids, her response is 'it's not comfortable for the children and they should be free to play'.

Son always wins the day by saying 'until everybody (including aunty) is buckled up the car doesn't move'. The first time son did this he discovered that five minutes after they departed aunty had unbuckled herself and one of sons kids. Son quickly stopped the car near a close by motorcycle taxi stand and told aunty to get out of the car and take a mocy.

Aunty has since carefully follows sons rules and has toned down a lot on her 'I know everything' attitude and her interference in family matters.

[kurnell]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

The 'less than 1%' will be Thai mixed kids. Thais don't use car seats at all.

A twist of this point - my Thai sons two kids are well trained to put on their seats belts in the front and the rear seats.

Sons Thai sister in law (about 40 years old) visits from time to time.

When they all get in the car my sons kids automatically buckle up. Aunty was then automatically unbuckling them. My son told her not to unbuckle the kids, her response is 'it's not comfortable for the children and they should be free to play'.

Son always wins the day by saying 'until everybody (including aunty) is buckled up the car doesn't move'. The first time son did this he discovered that five minutes after they departed aunty had unbuckled herself and one of sons kids. Son quickly stopped the car near a close by motorcycle taxi stand and told aunty to get out of the car and take a mocy.

Aunty has since carefully follows sons rules and has toned down a lot on her 'I know everything' attitude and her interference in family matters.

My dim witted nanny was told early on to put my children in their car seats, ordered in fact. She bought my daughter to my office on one occasion and I met her in the car park, and she was sitting in the back with a 1 year old on her lap. I asked her &lt;deleted&gt; she was doing and she said 'no problem, she can oom!' with all the confidence and authority that only an idiot can muster. You cannot fight stupidity as idiots are unaware that they are idiots, because they are idiots.

[Why ask]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

The 'less than 1%' will be Thai mixed kids. Thais don't use car seats at all.

A twist of this point - my Thai sons two kids are well trained to put on their seats belts in the front and the rear seats.

Sons Thai sister in law (about 40 years old) visits from time to time.

When they all get in the car my sons kids automatically buckle up. Aunty was then automatically unbuckling them. My son told her not to unbuckle the kids, her response is 'it's not comfortable for the children and they should be free to play'.

Son always wins the day by saying 'until everybody (including aunty) is buckled up the car doesn't move'. The first time son did this he discovered that five minutes after they departed aunty had unbuckled herself and one of sons kids. Son quickly stopped the car near a close by motorcycle taxi stand and told aunty to get out of the car and take a mocy.

Aunty has since carefully follows sons rules and has toned down a lot on her 'I know everything' attitude and her interference in family matters.

My dim witted nanny was told early on to put my children in their car seats, ordered in fact. She bought my daughter to my office on one occasion and I met her in the car park, and she was sitting in the back with a 1 year old on her lap. I asked her <deleted> she was doing and she said 'no problem, she can oom!' with all the confidence and authority that only an idiot can muster. You cannot fight stupidity as idiots are unaware that they are idiots, because they are idiots.

I hope you fired her! (or was she fit? )

[kurnell]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

The 'less than 1%' will be Thai mixed kids. Thais don't use car seats at all.

A twist of this point - my Thai sons two kids are well trained to put on their seats belts in the front and the rear seats.

Sons Thai sister in law (about 40 years old) visits from time to time.

When they all get in the car my sons kids automatically buckle up. Aunty was then automatically unbuckling them. My son told her not to unbuckle the kids, her response is 'it's not comfortable for the children and they should be free to play'.

Son always wins the day by saying 'until everybody (including aunty) is buckled up the car doesn't move'. The first time son did this he discovered that five minutes after they departed aunty had unbuckled herself and one of sons kids. Son quickly stopped the car near a close by motorcycle taxi stand and told aunty to get out of the car and take a mocy.

Aunty has since carefully follows sons rules and has toned down a lot on her 'I know everything' attitude and her interference in family matters.

My dim witted nanny was told early on to put my children in their car seats, ordered in fact. She bought my daughter to my office on one occasion and I met her in the car park, and she was sitting in the back with a 1 year old on her lap. I asked her <deleted> she was doing and she said 'no problem, she can oom!' with all the confidence and authority that only an idiot can muster. You cannot fight stupidity as idiots are unaware that they are idiots, because they are idiots.

I hope you fired her! (or was she fit? )

No, she was fat. At me outa house and home

[robblok]

Another wonderful way for the Government to subsidize , along with gas conversion , instead of new car buying , no , no votes in this , sorry.

Actually its a tax cut to make something that is for safety cheaper. I see no problems with these things. The other stuff you mentioned is different though. Its crazy that there is extra tax on safety measures.

[Thai at Heart]

no one seems to know why Thai parents have been so reluctant to take them up. We are talking about the use of child car seats.

Coz sometimes, people are just selfish and stupid.

[Thai at Heart]

Think I smell the next populist policy,buy millions of sub standard kids car seats

from China at well over the market rate,with a nice commission,pay up front for

them,and make a little fuss when they are not delivered as promised,sound familiar?

regards Worgeordie

I think you might,.sadly, be onto something here. Why is the tax there? Because some businessman paid someone to put it there 40 years ago and he is not about to let u take it off just to save some lives. Edited April 13, 2014 by Thai at Heart

[Why ask]

"BANGKOK: -- The govt could reduce child road deaths by axing the 30-per-cent surcharge it imposes on foreign-made car seats

It's not a difficult thing to do but no one seems to know why Thai parents have been so reluctant to take them up. We are talking about the use of child car seats.

According to a recent study, child car seats can boost safety for infants by 70 per cent.

In 2011, 614 children under the age of 15 died from road accidents. Some 21 per cent were infants and of the total, 101 were inside a car.

Thai children's deaths in road accidents, second only to deaths by drowning, have been blamed on as few as 1 per cent of parents using child car seats, according to a study by Dr Adisak Plitponkarnpim, director of Ramathibodi Hospital's Child Safety Promotion and Injury Prevention Research Centre.

Dr Adisak called on the government to cut down on import tax on foreign-made car seats so more parents can afford them. Currently, there is a 30-per-cent surcharge on child car seats. A little dent in state revenue could help save many lives. In fact, if this research tells us anything it is that such a measure may save the country a bundle in health costs spent on the treatment of injured children."

-------------------------

To quote the article above.

First, Dr. Adisak, why are you asking for import taxes to be reduced, when there is no 'official' Thai law stating a rule of thumb use of child car seats? Why are you not asking for a change to the law, which all traffic police could make a creaming out of?

You say it's so easy to do, as we are talking about child safety seats? Well it'd be a lot more easier to do if there was a <deleted>ing law imposing such usage.

Before spouting off about child seat employment, why don't you spout first about there being no official laws?

You want to observe the laws of the UK (which, incidentally, are even stricter than those of the USA, and probably the strictest in the world!)

UK: http://www.parentdish.co.uk/baby/child-car-seat-confusion-guide-to-the-new-regulations-and-products/

http://www.childcarseats.org.uk/the-law/

....

And thus, such laws are enforced, and the police take their jobs seriously, for the safety of the people/children/babies!

You say, "according to a recent study.... 70%" better safety. It's a hell of a lot higher than that, professor! What recent study do you refer to? The ones made by Ford, Chrysler, Jaguar, LandRover, Peugeot, Mercedes Benz amongst others, 30 years ago?

Stop blathering on about costs, and governmental taxation dents. Get the <deleted>ing laws changed first, and move on in a wisely manner - and not a 'cost' manner - which is all that Thais consider! If you're serious about your article, promote changes to the laws... and not your wonderful new discovery that car seats for kids help save lives.

Some professors in Thailand are so thick as <deleted>it (yes daddy bought my degree)... so what does it matter? It's all new info here... but 40 years old in the <deleted>ing Western world. Pathetic. Sod the costs...... get the laws in first for demanded usage.

Yep, too much to ask for here...... is it not? Nobody Thai driving a car gives a flying <deleted>k about their kids safety... cos they are all the bestest, fastest, safety conscious drivers in the whole wide world (not that one exists beyond the Thai borders, of course)

Edited April 13, 2014 by Why ask

[Sayonarax]

In 2011, 614 children under the age of 15 died from road accidents. Some 21 per cent were infants and of the total, 101 were inside a car.

It should be illegal to carry a baby in your open arms, whilst being a passenger on a motorbike.

[seajae]

it amazes me the lack of concern that some thai parents show towards babies, they simply dont think about the dangers involved for them. The amount of times I have seen what look to be new borns on bikes and they are just hanging over the mothers/daughters shoulder while the person driving just scoots between cars at high speed, it is absolutely rediculous. Cars are just as bad with the baby simply sitting in the mothers lap in the front seat , no seat belts on her so if they have an accident the baby will fly through the windscreen. For some reason no one stops to think about safety, they simply do not care enough to do so or think its a waste of time and effort. In Australia it is compulsory for babies to be in baby capsules to protect them and all children must be in the back seat and belted in, here no one gives a sh*t.

[VocalNeal]

Of course the article was encouraged by an importer of infant seats

One has to wonder at the reasons people came to Asia in the first place for TV posters to be worrying about stuff like this. Thailand is not the US, or the UK or Germany or anywhere else. If posters are worried about their own children buy some infant car seats.

Do you really want Thailand to be like the US where you can't have a piss in public?

[mijan24]

Many good points made but Somchai will not spend the money no matter what - the money is meant for other very important things:

1. Underground Lottery

2. Playing Cards

3. Drinking

Please tell me I am wrong.

[otherstuff1957]

In 2011, 614 children under the age of 15 died from road accidents... of the total, 101 were inside a car.

This shows the real problem. If this sentence is correct, then 513 of the child deaths were not inside a car. Probably most were on a motorcycle, probably without a helmet, and the rest were in the back of a pickup truck.

[Thai at Heart]

In most countries, it is.illegal to leave the hospital with the baby not in a car seat.

Its 5000 baht over the first 5 years of the baby's life. They will drop that on scotch for whetting the baby's head.

[Kudel]

So, car seats, in order to beome cheaper, will now become like plastic bowls with a few fixture clips (similar to an inverted Thai standard bike helmet?)...

I have my new child seat...... now, let me see.... where are those Isofix points in the back of my Isuzu 4x4 again?

Most kid seats in the west can be fixed with the seatbelts in the back seat mine are and whats the point in having kid seats when driving a car that would not even pass any decent crash test in the west.