[mints21]

In what could be seen as a first step towards kids safety, child restraint system compatibility will be made mandatory in all passenger vehicles in India with effect from 1st Oct 2014. The government plans to make this mandatory with at least one seat capable of using this facility. CRS is a hard back child safety seat, a standard feature in passenger vehicles in the developed countries. CRS compatibility is a mandatory requirement in all cars in US and Europe.

The above has been reported by The Economic Times today. Here is a complete link to the news item:

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Defau...&ViewMode=HTML

[CARDEEP]

IMO this is a revolutionary step in preserving the future of the country. We have numerous instances where the children are carried in the laps of driver or passengers & not belted in most of the occasions, & this rule will ensure that children are travelling in personal vehicles in safe conditions.

However, there should be similar laws for 2-wheelers as well as these are the vehicles which are sold in much larger numbers, larger number of people depend on 2-wheelers for public transport & there are lax (basic) safety standards in most states in our country.

[girishglg]

This is an excellent and much needed step towards safety on the go. It is a very common sight which everyone would have witnessed from time to time how our motorists ignore child/ kids safety.

Infants are nearly always carried by the elders in their laps or made to lie down in between two adults in the back. Small kids are let free to sit/stand in any part of the car.

Recently saw two small kids jumping and playing around in the front seats between the dashboard while the car was on the move ignoring even the basic seat belt rule.

This rule should be introduced and implemented strictly even if it means retrofitting the cars already on the roads.

[phamilyman]

The simpler and better holistic approach would have been to also incentivise indian manufacturers to produce safe cheap versions (think a car seat in 2k not 12k! everyone can buy!) and air ads by Aishwarya Rai showing her daughter ina car seat, or some such heavy celebrity endorsement!

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

The simpler and better holistic approach would have been to also incentivise indian manufacturers to produce safe cheap versions (think a car seat in 2k not 12k! everyone can buy!) and air ads by Aishwarya Rai showing her daughter ina car seat, or some such heavy celebrity endorsement!

That depends whether the celebs use child seats themselves, though that doesn't necessarily stop them from endorsing a whole bunch of stuff

Jokes apart, about time we woke up to child safety in-transit. I cringe every time I see someone drive past me with a child on a co-passenger's (or sometime even the driver's) lap. Less said about school vehicles, the better.

Every child deserves safe transport, whether in a Nano or a Limo. But unless the parents are sensitized to the child's needs, this will go the seat-belt way in our country, mandatory rules notwithstanding.

[premc44]

Originally Posted by girishglg

This is an excellent and much needed step towards safety on the go. It is a very common sight which everyone would have witnessed from time to time how our motorists ignore child/ kids safety.

Infants are nearly always carried by the elders in their laps or made to lie down in between two adults in the back. Small kids are let free to sit/stand in any part of the car.

Recently saw two small kids jumping and playing around in the front seats between the dashboard while the car was on the move ignoring even the basic seat belt rule.

This rule should be introduced and implemented strictly even if it means retrofitting the cars already on the roads.

It is not an uncommon sight on our roads to see even luxury car owners, driving with the child standing holding on to the dashboard, with his face right on level with the passenger airbag. Ignorance is not bliss here. How many of them know that in the unfortunate event of the airbag going off at about 200 Km/hr inflation speed, the child is going to have an instant death with no chance of survival. Along with the child seat laws, allowing small kids to travel in the front seat should also be made a punishable offence, more so with more and more variants coming with airbag option. This is strictly enforced in many countries.

[motorsan]

The news article is confusing. At one point it mentions car manufactures shall provide support for installing any type of CRS in one of the car seats. At another place, it says there will be a harness like restraint system for children with different weight options, between 10 and 36 kgs.

As you all are aware, children in different age groups have different types of safety seats. Children up to 18 months generally are safer seated in a rear facing infant seat, which above 18 months), while older children use a different type of seat. One can't expect car manufacturers to actually provide all such seats along with the car.

Child car seats currently available in India already can be installed using seat belts. I have installed such a seat in my car. I am not getting what is the "harness type restraint system" that is mentioned in the article.

[Nitrous Power]

Originally Posted by motorsan

Child car seats currently available in India already can be installed using seat belts. I have installed such a seat in my car. I am not getting what is the "harness type restraint system" that is mentioned in the article.

I think what it means is, the cars will have to come with LATCH [Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children] installed at base of bottom of back seat. It's a mechanism where your child seat's hooks can be fasten safely. And you can install any weight size car seats on this LATCH. It is mandatory in most of the developed market. We use the same for our daughter in our C class when we are in India.

[S_U_N]

If we are talking about LATCH, then we are talking about ISOFIX.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isofix

The basic difference between this and the typical Indian car is that it is much easier to install an ISOFIX compatible child car seat.

For the 'normal' child car seat available in India, we need to use the seat belts to 'tie' up the child seat to the car seat.
The older Fabia used to come with ISOFIX points.

If the car seat is correctly installed using the cars seat belt their is no difference in the safety between a car seat installed with isofix and a car seat fastend with seat belts

[e2p]

This is a very welcome move. We know that some people wear seatbelts or helmets only for the sake of abiding to the rule. There should be change in the mindset of people as well inorder for this to succeed. I am sure that the next generation cars will focus more towards safety.

[KiloAlpha]

Originally Posted by premc44

It is not an uncommon sight on our roads to see even luxury car owners, driving with the child standing holding on to the dashboard, with his face right on level with the passenger airbag. Ignorance is not bliss here. How many of them know that in the unfortunate event of the airbag going off at about 200 Km/hr inflation speed, the child is going to have an instant death with no chance of survival. Along with the child seat laws, allowing small kids to travel in the front seat should also be made a punishable offence, more so with more and more variants coming with airbag option. This is strictly enforced in many countries.

Its funny how someone who would think nothing of spending 10 lakhs of their onw hard-earned money for a car, would be very reluctant to spend 5000-7000 on a car seat? We Indians probably just don't think it as value for money.

My 3-year-old is always strapped up in a child seat. No exceptions. And I think that the ISOFIX/LATCH style requirement for cars will work only if baby seat use is enforced as strictly as seat belt use.

I recently saw a couple driving a Ritz ZXi (comes with 2 airbags), wearing seat belts. 5-6 year old daughter totally unrestrained. My wife asked me the logic of this situation. All I could say was - in the event of an accident, the child will die, parents will live, and can always produce another one!

[torque!!]

Originally Posted by KiloAlpha

My 3-year-old is always strapped up in a child seat. No exceptions.

Same deal here. Have a rear facing seat and my 1 year old is always strapped up in it. Have been doing this from day 1, well, month 1 when she had her first ride in my car.

Have got a lot of 'talk' from various folks about strapping up a small baby in an almost erect position in the car seat and how it would be so uncomfortable for her and how I am being so evil etc. At the end of the day, the baby is safe in her car seat and will get used to the slight discomfort in the seat, if any. Safety compromise is an absolute no no.

[SmartCat]

It's a good move, although its not very effective in saving significant number of lives.

But Government can save thousands of lives (both passengers & pedestrians) if ABS was made mandatory in all vehicles (cars, trucks, buses etc).

[Contrapunto]

Finally. Only the law will even the playing field and force manufacturers to install ISOFIX/ LATCH. I was pleasantly surprised to see both the rear seats in EcoSport with ISOFIX points. And of course, there are honorably mentions like Nano who don't even have a 3 point seat belt. I had gone to the nearest TML dealers a couple of months back to check out the Storme, and I saw a couple with a baby who can pretty much decided to buy the Nano, and to their disgust, realized that there is no 3 point seat belt to install the forward facing baby seat.

I think, in parallel, the traffic laws have to be updated to impose stiff penalties on people carrying their "betta" on their lap in the forward passenger seat, gingerly placed on one knee, the kid happily fiddling with in-dash switches while the gentleman nonchalantly speeds away. A disaster seems just one emergency braking maneuver away !!! But you see only smiles and a total lack of concern as you stare in horror.

[niks_devil666]

I use a child seat for my 6 month old daughter. Since it comes with a base which inturn is attached at the ISOFIX hooks (in Ecosport) , we don't have to pull the seat belt everytime to secure the seat to the car.

It is a very useful feature and am happy to see that govt. is mandating it. I just wish they mandate 2 front air bags too !