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Set an example, buckle up and keep your child safe

The main reason given for not using child seats was high cost

Despite repeated warnings and the government's best efforts, an alarming number of UAE residents continue to eschew common sense by not buckling up their seat belts or using proper child seats. One word comes to mind: negligence.
On Monday, I was alarmed - to say the least - the release of new data from RoadSafetyUAE that shows that 34 per cent of UAE residents with children do not have proper child seats or booster seats for their little ones, despite an overwhelming majority (93 per cent) being fully aware of the safety benefits they provide. To me, the findings are simply inexplicable. For example, the main reason given for not using child seats was high cost.
This suggests that one in three parents in this country are willing to put a price on the wellbeing, and possibly the life, of their child. The findings, of course, are indicative of a much larger issue, of setting a poor example for one's child. If a parent doesn't feel the need to buckle up, why would the child? A parent is the greatest influence on a child's life - not a teacher, and certainly not the authorities.
 It's high time that parents take note of that fact and adjust their own bad habits, whether they be behind the wheel, or other poor examples such as smoking, consuming alcohol, being negative, etc. The data gives ample reason to believe that parents aren't setting a very good example. More than half (55 percent) of adults don't buckle them-selves up in the backseat, with only 11 percent actually doing so.
Even more shockingly, 30 per cent of parents don't prompt their kids to buckle up, a figure which rises to 42 per cent among young parents, and 59 per cent among Emiratis. When will people learn? As I read the report, my mind instantly flashed back to an incident I covered many years ago, as a young reporter. Although it didn't occur in the UAE, it's indicative of the potentially fatal cost of negligence.
To sum up the story, a young couple - who later acknowledged that they themselves rarely wore seatbelts - was driving along a highway, with the wife holding a very young child in her lap. A car in front of them hit the brakes, and the driver quickly did as well to avoid a collision. Both parents suffered serious injuries, but the child ended up flying through the windshield and suffered catastrophic injuries to his head and body. He died on the asphalt long before the ambulance even arrived. Afterwards, police officials made it a point to note that the accident may well have been a minor one, had seat belts and a child seat been used. But they weren't - and a young life was lost. Is this what parents are willing to risk, for the sake of additional savings? The other excuses given by survey respondents weren't much more sensible.
For example, over a quarter - 28 per cent - noted that 'children don't like to be strapped in'. So what? Children don't like to brush their teeth or do their homework either, but most parents (I hope) make sure those things are done. A child's comfort preferences should not come in the way of their safety. Another 25 per cent of people noted that they 'don't know which child seat to buy', which frankly, smacks of laziness. This is what salespeople (or the Internet) are for. It's unbelievable that a quarter of driving UAE parents would rather risk their child's life than spend a bit of time researching.
While the implementation of the UAE's holistic seat belt law - which comes into effect in July - is an important step, with Dh400 in fines and four black points for those who don't ensure that children under four have proper child seats. However, the authorities are not all-seeing beings that are able to monitor every car plying the roads of the UAE.
The ultimate responsibility lies with the parents - and, quite frankly, it shouldn't take fear of fines and black points to encourage them to have common sense. The first step, of course, is getting the proper gear and taking the proper steps to ensure your child is safe in the car. But perhaps the most important step is setting a good example and serving as a role model for the youth, who, in the not-to-distant future, will be the motorists of the UAE. If we don't teach them to be responsible now, the UAE - and the rest of the world - will continue to see too many children be injured or die for easily avoidable reasons.