SINGAPORE – Doctors have found that almost all children who suffered injuries in road accidents were not restrained by seat belts or child seats while travelling in a vehicle.
Figures from the National Trauma Registry, set up in 2011 to collate trauma data from the 10 general public hospitals, showed that 95 per cent of children aged 10 to 16, and more than half of adults, were not using a seat belt when an accident happened.
Adjunct Assistant Professor Raj Menon, who heads the National University Centre for Trauma at the National University Hospital (NUH), said: “There is a clear correlation that not using seat belts does result in worse injuries.
“We tend to focus on drivers and those in the front seat, but rear passengers are also very much at risk when they do not wear a seat belt,” added Prof Menon, who was speaking on April 2 at the National Injury Prevention Conference held at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH).
The registry data also showed that 80 per cent of children here aged nine and below were not using car seats when an accident happened.
This is despite research showing that using proper restraints can reduce injury risk by more than 80 per cent.
An approved child restraint is compulsory in Singapore for all children below the height of 1.35m travelling in a motor vehicle.
Prof Menon, who was speaking at the conference attended by participants from government agencies, healthcare institutions and community organisations to develop injury prevention strategies, said that during a high velocity accident, an enormous amount of energy is transferred to “relatively delicate bodies”.
He added: “Having a seat belt reduces that movement, secures you to the car frame and prevents you from being flung (around), and that really makes all the difference.
