PORT KLANG, Feb 13 — The incident in which a two-year-old boy was flung out of a car driven by his father on the North-South Highway near Senawang, Negri Sembilan on Monday, should serve as a lesson to parents on the importance of using child safety seats.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said, if used correctly, a child safety seat, also known as the child restraint system (CRS), would ensure that children are safe throughout a journey and are not thrown out of a vehicle in the event of a collision.
“In the incident, the child was fortunate because the car at the back managed to stop in time. Imagine, if the car could not stop in time, wouldn’t they (parents of the child) carry regret for the rest of their lives?
“I hope this will serve as a lesson to all on the importance of using the CRS,” he told reporters today when asked to comment on the matter.
Earlier, the minister conducted a working visit to the Boustead Cruise Centre Terminal and the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project’s exhibition site for public inspection, at the Port Klang Authority here.
Loke added that although his ministry was continuously emphasising the use of child safety seats, this did not mean that they were not looking into other factors which could cause accidents, and this included driving under the influence of alcohol.
“Accidents normally involve many factors. Netizens have questioned why I only talk about child safety seats,” he said, explaining that efforts were also being undertaken to tighten the law concerning drivers under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
Loke added that his ministry was awaiting draft amendments to the Road Transport Act 1987 on dangerous driving including driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, from the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
In previous reports, the minister had said that the Cabinet had agreed to amend existing laws on dangerous driving. — Bernama
