May 2004
Safety Council welcomes car-seat safety initiative in Donegal
The national Safety Council has welcomed an initiative by the Health
Promotion unit of the NWHB to promote the use of child car seats
following disclosures this week by Donegal Gardai that many parents
have still not accepted the seriousness of allowing their children
to travel unrestrained.
Eamon Sayers of the National Safety Council who was in Donegal
to support the Health Promotion initiative which is being run in
partnership with An Garda Siochana; Lifestart; The Baby Corner,
Stranorlar and a number of Main Car Dealers explained that education,
enforcement and engineering (ie the road itself) are the three essential
components in improving road safety.
"This particular initiative therefore, by Health Promotion
is to be greatly welcomed because it has incorporated both education
and enforcement into its campaign to increase child car seat usage"
said Mr Sayers. Although seat belt usage amongst adults has greatly
improved, Gardai on the ground are finding that adult passengers
are still carrying children on their lap, children are being allowed
to stand between seats and many parents are of the belief that child
restraints are not necessary on short journeys.
Sgt Iggy Larkin of Donegal Town area Traffic Unit said they have
found that it is common practice for parents not to use child-restrains
on journeys of less than a mile or on short trips from home to school.
However, Dr. Gerry Lane Consultant in the Accident and Emergency
Department of Letterkenny General Hospital has stressed that in
a road traffic accident you can be just as seriously injured on
a journey of 100 yards as on a journey of 100 miles.
Eamon Sayers has also reminded parents that research into child
car passengers fatalities in the period 1996 - 2000 reveals that
77% of child fatalities were found not to have been using a child
restraint or a seatbelt.
Sgt Larkin who carries out regular checkpoints at primary schools
in the South West Donegal area believes that strict enforcement
of the law is the only answer when parents continually allow their
children to travel unrestrained despite having received advice and
information.
As part of Health Promotion's aim to increase parents knowledge
about the use and selection of child seats there will be an opportunity
to enter a quiz competition, for which there are three prizes of
a Child Seat, a Booster Seat and an Infant Carrier for the first
three correct entries drawn. Quiz entry forms can be obtained at
The Baby Corner or at the Child Car Seat Information Stand at the
reception area in Letterkenny General Hospital. Parents associated
with the three Donegal Lifestart Projects will receive information
and quiz entry forms from their Family Visitors.
Sgt Larkin who is working closely with the Health Promotion unit
to promote the event has warned, however, that after Child Car Seat
Awareness Week is over there will be strict enforcement of the law
right across Donegal for people who continually allow their children
to travel unrestrained.
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