AN INCREASING number of Singaporeans are illegally leaving their kids unbuckled when travelling in cars, putting them at risk of being injured or killed if the vehicles crash or brake suddenly.
Last year, 49 people were caught by the Traffic Police for failing to carry proper child restraints - over twice the number caught in 2005. That year, 23 such summons were issued.
Yet according to safety experts, the grim reality is that if your child is in a car and not buckled in, he is virtually a human projectile.
An unsecured 7kg baby travelling at 50kmh could be violently flung against the dashboard or through the windscreen in the event of a collision, says the Traffic Police.
This has been a topic among letter writers to The Straits Times, who lament that parents are failing to buckle their kids into safety seats.
Polytechnic lecturer Winnie Kuan, 34, echoes their views, telling LifeStyle: 'When I see parents driving their kids around without buckling them in, I feel that they think life is very cheap.'
She has strapped her two children in child restraints since they were infants. Her son, Jeremy, now six, rides in a booster seat, which older kids sit on and enables them to wear an adult safety belt.
It may come as a surprise to some, but by law, all children under eight must be buckled in an approved child restraint if they are travelling in a car. First-time offenders can be fined up to $1,000 or jailed for up to three months upon conviction.
So what drives parents not to get their kids to belt up? For many, it seems, the decision whether to use child safety seats or not is often a trade-off between convenience and safety.
Civil servant Chong Wah Heng, 36, usually buckles his children into safety seats except when he is driving short distances.
'If we're going to the in-laws, it's just a two-minute drive and we may be a little lazy to put the children in the safety seats.'
For others, long-held practices hold sway.
Secretary Karen Teoh, 32, does not use the two child seats she bought despite spending more than $250 on them.
'My mother-in-law doesn't believe in putting little children, especially newborns, in child seats. She insists on holding the baby.'
Others point out that kids themselves kick up a fuss when they have to be strapped in, and sometimes the car is just too small to accommodate more than two child seats.
Then there is the hassle of installing the restraint, with its complicated maze of harnesses and straps.
Teacher Ivy Tan, 32, says: 'When I ferry my sister's kids and mine to and from school, I can't fit the child seats as there are space constraints.'
Public relations manager Nigel Sim, 36, who has an 18-month-old daughter, adds: 'Sometimes we have no choice but to take her out of the seat, especially if she wants milk or demands to be carried. I just drive slower then.'
However, assistant manager of Baby's Hyperstore Ain Thani says: 'Parents should train their child to use the safety seats from when they're newborn so that they don't resist sitting in the seats when they're older.'
Taxis are exempt from the child seat requirement, but that doesn't mean peace of mind for parents.
Safety experts advise that they consider investing in convertible child seats which can double up as strollers or baby carriages.
However, these seats usually cost more than $500 and most parents baulk at the cost, opting instead to strap their kids in with them in taxis.
Mr Tan Jin Thong, president of the National Safety Council of Singapore, says of the overall problem: 'People think it won't happen to them and that they will drive carefully. But you must realise that there are reckless drivers out there.'
However, baby products retailers LifeStyle spoke to said that the new generation of parents are more well-informed about safety issues.
'The parents who buy child restraints here are usually more highly educated and young, first-time parents,' says Mrs Teresa Tan, owner of online store Baby Sayang.
Many cars nowadays also come with a system that makes it easier to slot in car restraints, called ISOFIX (International Standards Organisation Fix). Cars that have this include Mercedes-Benz, Honda MPVs and Nissan Muranos.
Despite improvements in technology and attitudes, some feel more needs to be done.
National Institute of Education teaching fellow Edmund Lim, 34, pointed this out in a letter to The Straits Times last May.
He says: 'It's ironic that the Government wants people to belt up in cars, when the reality is that children going to school via schoolbuses are not required to wear seatbelts, let alone booster seats.'
Strapping tips
CHECK out these guidelines from the Automobile Association of Singapore on how to travel with a baby on board.
For babies nine months and under, weighing less than 10kg: Put them in infant capsules, padded portable safety seats with raised sides to support the baby's head. From $100.
For toddlers between nine months and four years old, weighing 9 to 18kg: If you have your own car, seat them in child restraints secured in the backseat. Don't place safety seats in the front as airbags can be a hazard to young children. From $100.
For children between five and eight years old, weighing 9 to 36kg: Put them on a booster seat, which props them up so that normal adult seat belts fit them correctly. From $39.90.
How to choose a child safety seat:
Always take your child along to ensure the size and shape of the seat fits.
Test how the seat sits in your car. With infant capsules, fit it in your backseat facing the rear. The top of the restraint should rest against the back of the front seat.
Make sure the seatbelt holds the restraint firmly in place.
Look for an easy-to-use restraint with accessible adjustable fittings, wide straps and quick-release buckles.
Check for approved international standards markings.
If buying second-hand, choose a seat not older than six years.
