In first, Oman to make car seats mandatory

Muscat: For the first time in Oman, car seats will be mandatory. The move comes after amendments were made to Oman’s Traffic Law, an official from the Royal Oman Police told Gulf News.

Drivers will be fined between 10 to 20 riyals for breaking the law.

The law is still waiting the final approval from His Majesty, Sultan Qaboos Bin Said.

Omanis rushed to praise the new law. “It is common to see a child, or in some cases multiple children, placed on the laps of car passengers,” Ahmad Al Hinai, a local businessman, told Gulf News.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has stressed the importance of using seat belts and car seats to prevent injuries and deaths in road accidents.

Seatbelts reduce fatalities in car crashed by 50 per cent.