Dubai: Installation of child seats in cars is likely to be mandatory soon as the Ministry of Interior is working on proposals to update the UAE traffic law, Gulf News has learnt.
According to studies, child seats reduce rate of fatalities in crashes by 50 per cent and the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has embarked upon a massive drive to make parents aware about their responsibilities towards child safety. According to studies, around 90 per cent of children in the UAE are not strapped in cars and almost 70 per cent of child deaths in the country are caused by road accidents.
Speaking on the sidelines of a child safety campaign which was launched at Al Barsha Health Centre, as part of Gulf Traffic Week, Deema Hussain, Manager of Traffic Awareness at RTA’s Traffic and Roads Agency, said that the traffic law needs to be updated immediately to help improve the safety of children on roads.
“We are working hard to improve awareness among parents about the importance of strapping children in and installing child seats, but without a law to back us we can’t have the desired results,” said Deema, following the launch of the “Protect your baby” campaign,
She added that the RTA has proposed to the Ministry of Interior to update the traffic law and make child seats mandatory.
“We have made the proposal and there are proposals from others as well. I understand that the ministry realises the urgency of the situation and will come out with a decision soon,” she opined.
The campaign, which will host weekly programmes and workshops in clinics and hospitals, tells new mothers about the importance of protecting their children from dangers on roads.
“What we are trying to do is not just inform that child seats are important, but also demonstrate how to install them, what type of seats are suitable for different age groups and sizes of children and different ways of installation according to the child’s age,” she said.
Studies have revealed that newborns and children up to the age of 15 months should be strapped into rear-facing child seats. After this age, the seats should be front-facing.
In the initial phase, the new law, when implemented, will make child seats mandatory for children up to the age of four and any violation will attract huge fines along with black points.
