It's not enough to hold your child in a car - why Thais are being told to use car seats.

[rooster59]

It's not enough to hold your child in a car - why Thais are being told to use car seats.

 

Image: Thai Rath

 

Thai Rath reported on the issue of car seats - a subject that most Westerners will be completely familiar with but many Thais are ignorant or misinformed about.

The influential and widely read news media said that there was a widely held misconception that holding onto your child tightly would save them in the event of an accident.

There was also resistance to the use of car seats because children kicked up a fuss when they were put in them and they are expensive and need changing as the children grow, said Thai Rath.

Some experts in vehicle safety were quoted in their feature story - they criticized the Thais for their attitudes and strongly advised the use of car seats to prevent serious injury and death to children.

Dr Thanapong Jinwong said that car seats were extremely important to protect children under nine or under 140 centimeters in height as there was no other effective way to ensure their safety.

Holding onto children tightly was useless in the event of a bad accident or sudden braking. the weight of the child would cause them to be propelled forward and it wouldn't matter how tight you were holding them.

Dr Thanapong said there were many cases of children sitting in the centre of the back seat who had been propelled through the front windscreen in accidents.

It was even worse for parents who held children n front seats. Airbag deployment could easily kill them in an accident, he said.

Car seats should be in the back and people should follow manufacturers guidelines for fitting and direction of seating.

Very young children and babies usually face rearwards with older and heavier children later facing forwards.

The experts agreed that Thailand should follow the example of the west in the use and implementation of car seats.

Statistics show that their use can prevent serious injury and death to children by as much as 60 to 70%.

And as far as cost goes the experts posed a salient question - what price do you put on your child's life?

 

Source: Thai Rath

 

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-07-01

[fruitman]

Those childseats are much cheaper in Europe, but since the Thai love to show their wealth more i would expect to see more of them in Thailand, the most expensive ones that is.

[RotMahKid]

Yes, I saw the Maxi Cosi at Lazada for only 48.000 baht, everybody will buy it!

[quadperfect]

Every day i see a few dozen familys on motorbikes and a few dozen moms with infants in bamboo seats in front of them.

Why even bother with a article like this. 

This is just another article that shows how far thailand is behind in road safety.

I am guessing about 30 years from now thais will have similar road safety as to western worlds today.

But in 30 years the west will have high speed guided transport and thailand will have baby car seats and law enforcement .

[akampa]

Rather being told to use car seats for children make it mandatory . 

 

The most expensive car seat I saw on Amazon USA  was 12,000baht  the most expensive on Lazarda was 43,000 but the cheapest on Lazarda was 2200 Baht so no excuse not to buy.

 

 

[sirineou]

People do the best they can with what they have, Thais are no different.

[LazySlipper]

As usual Thailand is 30 years behind the times.

 

Been compulsory in Canada since the 80's.

 

The term RETARD seems to suit well here.

[darksidedog]

Seatbelts prevent injuries and death by 60-70%, which to a rational mind says every person in a vehicle needs to be wearing one and to hell with whether the kids moan. A moaning child is better than a dead one, but Thais just don't seem to understand any of the concepts of road safety, so the death toll on the roads is unlikely to decline significantly anytime soon.

[Orton Rd]

woman round the corner had one, took it away after about a week in the car. Seems the kid no like and preferred to be sitting on mums lap while she drives. Older kid has already smashed his head into the windscreen after her slamming on the brakes, you just can't tell them!

[wildewillie89]

A matter of education above costs in many cases. Also a matter of the car seat takes up space, where two people holding the baby could fit in, rather tank taking two cars (seeing as many families like to go everywhere together).

 

My baby doctor at the private doctor saw our car seat and commented on it, saying it is very rare to see one (even in very rich families). Even coming from an educated family, her family were against her getting two car seats for her twins due to space. 

The poorer sections of the community it is more difficult. It is 6 months full salaries for many. 

[brewsterbudgen]

As usual Thailand is 30 years behind the times.
 
Been compulsory in Canada since the 80's.
 
The term RETARD seems to suit well here.

Why would you expect Thailand to be at the same stage of development as Canada?

[krobert6]

I often see small children standing on the motorbike seat - wonder what they will recommend there

[NCC1701A]

just the other day i saw a Thai women hold her new born baby in one arm while talking on her cellphone at the same time with the other hand. she was just hanging on the back not holding on to anything while her husband drives the scooter.

 

Thailand is a long way from car seats.

[wgdanson]

1 hour ago, akampa said:

Rather being told to use car seats for children make it mandatory . 

 

The most expensive car seat I saw on Amazon USA  was 12,000baht  the most expensive on Lazarda was 43,000 but the cheapest on Lazarda was 2200 Baht so no excuse not to buy.

 

 

And that one for Bht 2200 is probably as good/safe as most motor bike helmets used.

 

[Momofarang]

25 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Why would you expect Thailand to be at the same stage of development as Canada?

May be not Canada, but South Korea definitely. I remember coming here first time in 1979, Thailand was seen just as promising as Korea, 40 years later it is closed to be left behind by Vietnam.

 

I also remember in 1989, in Saigon some youngish Thai IOM professional telling my Vietnamese colleagues and friends , with a great deal of contempt: "here it looks like Thailand 50 years ago"... 

[chrisinth]

1 hour ago, akampa said:

Rather being told to use car seats for children make it mandatory . 

 

The most expensive car seat I saw on Amazon USA  was 12,000baht  the most expensive on Lazarda was 43,000 but the cheapest on Lazarda was 2200 Baht so no excuse not to buy.

 

 

I would agree, no reason not to buy at that price, example in this case of 2,200 baht.

 

But, IMO, the buyer's first concern would be compliance of the law and safety of the child coming in second. If the seats are certified that they meet the safety codes, then that could be an arguable point, but usually the seats are that cheap for a reason.

 

My view is the same for motorcycle helmets. Yes, they all will give a certain amount of protection, but don't be surprised when your 199 baht helmet shatters and you end up with plastic shards embedded into your head.

 

Again IMO, 199 baht buys you compliance of the law, it will not guarantee safety above minor scrapes.

[Jeremy50]

Start with children being 'held tightly' on motorbikes, and then move on from there. Babies being carried on motorbikes is always what alarms me most, a child will survive a low speed fall onto the road, a baby just won't, or is at least just a couple of feet away from serious brain damage. 

[akampa]

49 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

And that one for Bht 2200 is probably as good/safe as most motor bike helmets used.

 

I agree but at least it keeps the kid in the seat and not moving about the car .

[wildewillie89]

1 hour ago, wildewillie89 said:

A matter of education above costs in many cases. Also a matter of the car seat takes up space, where two people holding the baby could fit in, rather tank taking two cars (seeing as many families like to go everywhere together).

 

My baby doctor at the private doctor saw our car seat and commented on it, saying it is very rare to see one (even in very rich families). Even coming from an educated family, her family were against her getting two car seats for her twins due to space. 

The poorer sections of the community it is more difficult. It is 6 months full salaries for many. 

than* hospital*

[4MyEgo]

2 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

woman round the corner had one, took it away after about a week in the car. Seems the kid no like and preferred to be sitting on mums lap while she drives. Older kid has already smashed his head into the windscreen after her slamming on the brakes, you just can't tell them!

Thai's from my observations tend to allow their kids to dictate what they like or want from young, which in my opinion is a recipe for disaster.

 

A child has to be disciplined, or more the term I like in our household, guided, for the benefit of the child and its safety.

 

Thailand has a long way to catch up with the rest of the world, however while they allow motorbike riders and passengers to ride without helmets, children and babies being on motorbikes, motor vehicle drivers to drive without seat belts, motorbike riders and car drivers to speed and be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, passengers in the back of 4 wheel drives, utilities, babies in cars without baby seats, I am afraid the carnage in Thailand will remain the unchanged.

[seahorse]

Most adults don't bother wearing seat belts either.

 

Mai bpen rai.

[300sd]

It's not that important, we just don't care!

 

Besides, we can't be bothered to do up our own seat belts. 

 

[Bluespunk]

4 hours ago, quadperfect said:

Every day i see a few dozen familys on motorbikes and a few dozen moms with infants in bamboo seats in front of them.

Why even bother with a article like this. 

This is just another article that shows how far thailand is behind in road safety.

I am guessing about 30 years from now thais will have similar road safety as to western worlds today.

But in 30 years the west will have high speed guided transport and thailand will have baby car seats and law enforcement .

Baby seats anyway. 

 

Maybe...

[Bluespunk]

4 hours ago, sirineou said:

People do the best they can with what they have, Thais are no different.

If you can afford a car, you can afford a baby seat. 

Edited July 1, 2017 by Bluespunk

[Ceruhe]

6 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Very young children and babies usually face rearwards with older and heavier children later facing forwards.

Wasn't the rear facing thing also a misconception and they should be facing forward no matter the age/size?

 

Waiting for the news article about how it's unsafe to hold the kids on a motorsai with 1 arm and what have you. I already know it will be a separate article, because 2 birds and 1 stone ain't working.

 

[ba ba]

children kicking up a fuss??? well then smack them and the little a sol boys should get a wack every day from berth and to all you do gooders it didn't hurt a lot of us baby boomers

[brewsterbudgen]

Wasn't the rear facing thing also a misconception and they should be facing forward no matter the age/size?
 
Waiting for the news article about how it's unsafe to hold the kids on a motorsai with 1 arm and what have you. I already know it will be a separate article, because 2 birds and 1 stone ain't working.
 

No. Infant car seats should be rear facing.

[speedtripler]

5 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Why would you expect Thailand to be at the same stage of development as Canada?

You would you expect them to be 30 years behind it too? 

 

[speedtripler]

27 minutes ago, ba ba said:

children kicking up a fuss??? well then smack them and the little a sol boys should get a wack every day from berth and to all you do gooders it didn't hurt a lot of us baby boomers

You can't smack an infant for crying, it just doesn't work..... 

 

[robsamui]

6 hours ago, speedtripler said:

You can't smack an infant for crying, it just doesn't work..... 

 

It does if you knock them semi-conscious . . .  as I once saw  posted on one of the Thai social media sites . . . .