ACCIDENT: 'We are pushing for child restraint law' - PPBM President

Did you know that even at a speed of 30kmh, which is deemed slow for many Malaysian drivers, an infant could still be flung out of a vehicle if he or she is not properly secured?

The Association of Registered Childcare Providers Malaysia’s (PPBM) president, PH Wong said this was among the many things that parents, and the public at large, are unaware of.

“This is among the most important fact that we raise during our awareness campaign and training. Thirty kilometres per hour may not sound much to our local drivers, but it can cost a child’s life,” she told Astro AWANI.

Wong together with her association are stepping up efforts to push for a child restrain law to be implemented in Malaysia to prevent the increasing number of child fatalities.

She said the non-existence of such law has been a bone of contention to the increasing number of child deaths in car accidents.

The need for such a law is even more important now with recent tragic accidents that involved two toddlers– a seven-month old whose life was lost in a horrifying Duke accident and another nine-month-old baby who was killed upon being flung out a vehicle at the North-South Expressway near Kulaijaya – in which she said could have been avoided.

READ: Witness share horrifying tale of DUKE accident

“The child restrain law would enable a child to be secured in a child passenger restraint system in a rear facing position,” she said adding that the primary goal of their efforts is to raise awareness on the importance of buckling up.

Through the Child Passenger Safety (CPS) campaign, Wong and PPBM advocate for the CPS technical safety program as many parents either do not use child safety seats or they use it inappropriately.

“We have seen many parents who do not install the child passenger seats properly and also who do not choose the appropriate seats for their children of a certain age,” she said.

PPBM and its 20 state and district associations have initiated Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Campaign due to the concern about the non-existence of child restraint laws in Malaysia since December 9 last year.

READ: Government urged to introduce legislation for baby car seats

Wong said prevention is a bigger question at the end of the day and it is too late to punish parents for negligence even though there is a provision under the Child Act 2001 that could punish parents for endangering their children.