The back-to-back chair as a mechanism against child mortality on the road
Traveling is always a pleasure and more if you share these moments with the little ones. Among the equipment that families should have for their cars, the child seat. A product that prevents numerous accidents in the smallest of the house and in which not only must take into account the quality of the product, but the way in which it is placed inside the vehicle.
For this reason, the importance of placing this seat adapted "to counter-march". A council born in Sweden, a world reference in terms of road safety and which aims to reduce infant mortality figures on the road. The objective is to get these numbers in Spain reduced to zero, as in the Nordic country.
Importance of the counter-march
As the Axkid experts in Sweden point out, around 80% of the most children travel against the march. A fact that has led to the figures of infant mortality in this country have been reduced to zero. For this reason the days of the "Day of the counter-march" aim to raise awareness in Spain on the importance of guiding these adapted seats.
An objective that these experts in child road safety do not want to be reduced to Spain. The goal is to achieve that in 2035 the figures of accidents of children on the road are zero. And how is the counter-march related to the reduction of childhood mishaps?
Many studies indicate that the risk of death by collision increases by five when children travel in favor of walking compared to those in which the child was placed in the opposite direction. This is related to the difference between the body of an adult and a child.
When the chair is placed in favor of the march the child is held by the harness and blocks his shoulders. Therefore, the force after the impact is of such magnitude that it generates serious injuries that can even lead to the death of the child. When the seat is in the opposite direction, back, neck and head are aligned and the strength of the car is absorbed by the car seat.
Road safety with children
From the General Directorate of Traffic, DGT, several road safety tips with children are remembered:
- Children with a height equal to less than 135 centimeters must always use an approved restraint system adapted to their weight and height.
- In the case of pregnant women, remember that the belt saves two lives. To put it on, the horizontal band should be below the abdomen and adjusted as far as possible, the diagonal band on the shoulder, without rubbing the neck and between the chest.
- Always carry a small kit to cure small accidents.
- Never follow the march if there are signs of fatigue.
Damián Montero