Children survive horrific accident – a clear example of how crucial child safety seats are in saving lives

A 16 month old and four year old escaped serious injury and possibly worse because their mother took the time to assure…

Posted by Wakulla County Fire Rescue on Saturday, 31 October 2015

In the United States, photos of what appears to be a serious three-car pileup – published on the Facebook page of the Wakulla County Fire and Rescue in Florida – have made the rounds of social media as well as on a number of news sites, including Yahoo!. The public’s attention was centred on a Hyundai Sonata that looks to have taken the brunt of the impact, with the rear half of the car almost completely demolished.

Looking at the images closely, it’s hard to see how anyone sitting at the rear would’ve managed to even survive such a crash in the first place – the rear section has been pushed so far forward that the back seats have caved in, with the right-side seat nearly touching the back of the seat in front.

Remarkably, however, the two toddlers who were in the back at the time – one aged 16 months, the other four years old – survived the horrific collision with “what appear to be minor abrasions.” That’s because their mother secured both children using child safety seats, a move which undoubtedly saved their lives.

Eagle-eyed readers will notice that the younger child was incorrectly strapped facing forwards, instead of in a rear-facing position as recommended for a toddler of that age. Fortunately, such installation actually helped the infant to survive the incident, as the impact came from the rear.

However, we still urge parents to install their child seats in a rear-facing position until the child reaches the seat’s maximum weight limit. This reduces the chances of head and spinal cord injury in very young children in a forward collision, which are what the vast majority of road incidents consist of.

Although we strongly recommend that child seats are fitted correctly as outlined by the manufacturer, we also cannot stress enough that the use of child seats here drastically reduced the forces acted upon the children in a collision – which in this instance was strong enough to break the 16-month-old’s child seat – than if they were left completely unsecured.

Child car seats paultan.org 009

“We are very thankful that the occupants escaped serious injury,” WCFR chief Mike Morgan told The Huffington Post. “I communicated with the mother this morning and she advised she had researched the seats and felt her children met the recommendations to secure them as she did. WCFR is proud that this mother did choose to secure them and the fact that some feel it was not done according to some recommendation is secondary. The facts are that the children survived.”

Parents, we hope that this amazing story is enough to convince you of how crucial proper child safety seats are in saving lives. Children should always be properly secured whenever they are in a car – under no circumstance should a child ever be left unsecured in a moving vehicle. Please share this story so that more children’s lives will be saved in seemingly unsurvivable accidents like this.

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Jonathan Lee

After trying to pursue a career in product design, Jonathan Lee decided to make the sideways jump into the world of car journalism instead. He therefore appreciates the aesthetic appeal of a car, but for him, the driving experience is still second to none.

 

Comments

  • People here don’t even wear seatbelts (which is free) especially rear passengers and you expect them to BUY childseats? People here are too cheapskate ma.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 43 Thumb down 0
    • school vans dont even have proper seat belts here in Msia!

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 23 Thumb down 0
      • Window vans have seat belts for all 14 seats. Just that bus operators like to cram as much children so theres more passengers than seatbelts available

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 2
  • PRDM - Polis Raja Di Malaysia on Nov 05, 2015 at 3:09 pm

    Child seats are important but in Malaysia, any law come into effect also has no meaning when there is no enforcement.

    the problem lies with PDRM. They are good at just taking money and making the offence or saman disappear. Even back seat belts also, nobody bothers because 99% of those caught initially had to deterrent saman to scare them into not doing the offence again.

    When offenders pay duit kopi, this what happens. The offence will be repeated and repeated.

    Until PDRM stop taking and asking duit kopi from offenders, it is only then we will progess to become first world

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 17
    • Jasjos on Nov 05, 2015 at 4:14 pm

      One should wear seatbelt not because it is punishable by law, but for your own safety. One should use a child seat because it is for your child’s safety.

      Malaysians generally are not safety conscious. Took an AirAsia domestic flight last week and was disappointed to see a child about 5-6 years old unbuckled herself after the flight attendant checked during take off and landing and the parents didn’t care.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 20 Thumb down 0
      • Malaysian have the unquestionable right to be an idiotic a$$h0le. Jangan persoal otherwise they will Bersih you.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 3
    • dongkikong on Nov 05, 2015 at 4:24 pm

      Banyaklah songel kau.
      Polis semua salah macam kau tu baik sangat. Kau bagi duit kopi kat polis marah pulak bila polis ambil duit kopi. Hipokrit!

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 15 Thumb down 3
      • Anonymus on Nov 05, 2015 at 5:40 pm

        Banyaklah songel kau.
        Macam kau yang tak songel sangat.
        HIPOKRIT X2

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 6
    • swoosh3553 on Nov 05, 2015 at 5:26 pm

      bro PDRM… please don’t make sweeping statement about PDRM. If you only know what they have to face day in day out. Every industry has these issue of bribery or personal gains. I know as I have been in the manufacturing industry where customer-supplier relationship is almost strengthened by fostering good relationship even if money is involved. A free lunch by the supplier to the customer is also some sort of “bribery” for “buying” good relationship to the giver (supplier). Furthermore, I am married to a police inspection in PDRM. And NOT everyone of them takes these duit kopi.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 2
  • xxxxxxx on Nov 05, 2015 at 4:19 pm

    People here held their baby on hand riding motorcycle, without helmet. Officer see also close one eye let them go on.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 0
    • watoodoo on Nov 06, 2015 at 5:23 pm

      Already poor that’s why riding kapcai wife pillion rider + 3kids sardine-sandwiched together summo kena saman talak pakai helmets for kids arr ??—If I’m policeman i surely tak sampai hati stop them, watoodoo life difficulty for orang miskin surely those can comment all driving comfortable cars with aircond + soothing music background….
      Nasib orang miskin kais pagi, makan bulan lepas-laa aku ni yang cukup malang tak se-cukup duit….sigh…

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 1
  • you know lah ‘orang kita’ punya mindset here. kalau mati tu takdir namanya. what for nak buy all sorts of safety equipment for kids, everyone’s life is already pre-determined…

    same people ask for handouts from the govt, then make big noise when cost of living goes up. I wonder why they bother making noise, kan it is also takdir…

    Me? i believe God gave me a brain to think for myself (and draw own conclusions after gaining knowledge) and work towards a life I deserve with my own determination, with HIS blessings. So I bought a carseat for my kid. end of story.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 21 Thumb down 0
    • tokmoh. on Nov 05, 2015 at 5:36 pm

      Biasalah ‘orang kita’. Tegur sikit, butthurt. Kata “eleh, duduk kat rumah pun bole mati kalau dah masa”.

      Biaq p la, anak mampos kang, buat je lagi. Lagi ramai anak, lagi murah rezeki. Duit BR1M ada, cukur la kerajaan prihatin.

      Some mufti dah kata harga minyak naik ketentuan Tuhan. Win liao lor.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 1
      • Thats correct, somemore when polis pull them over cuz not wear seatbelt they keep shouting “APA SALAH SAYA, APA SALAH SAYA, APA SALAH SAYA, APA SALAH SAYA, APA SALAH SAYA, APA SALAH SAYA, APA SALAH SAYA!” Then when wanna saman them, they scold the officers and throw RM50 at them, expecting the officers to pickup from the road like beggars.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 1
  • alldisc on Nov 05, 2015 at 5:46 pm

    The car does looks like keropok

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • meanwhile in Malaysia, it’s still common to see parents holding their baby in their arms or allow young kid to sit with them at the front passenger seat

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • The Archbishop of Banterbury on Nov 06, 2015 at 8:18 pm

    it’s clear that Malaysians are allergic to seatbelts.
    Malaysians what’s wrong with you all!!???

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
 

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