Mums and dads, have you ever skipped putting your child in a booster seat because it was too much trouble, or held your baby in your arms instead of fastening him/her in a car seat?
We all love our little ones to bits and are willing to go the extra mile to make sure they are kept out of harm’s way. And yet, when it comes to child car seats and car safety we may all have been guilty of bending the rules a bit, to save time, money or the hassle of putting up with their tantrums.
We assume that our babies are safer in our arms and we can always hold on tight to our kids if the driver jammed on the brakes or an accident were to happen.
Plus, what can possibly go wrong on a short journey, right?
Do We Need Child Car Seats In Taxis?
According to Singapore law, “For safety reasons, all vehicles in Singapore must have booster seats or child restraints for passengers under 1.35m in height. However, taxis are exempted from this rule because they can be street-hailed.
Hence, it would not be reasonable to expect them to be equipped with booster seats and child restraints at all times, or to reject passengers with toddlers or children.”
Taxis may be exempt from the legal requirement of having car seats but the big question that parents need to ask is, are taxis exempt from the laws of dynamics?
As MP Louis Ng put it so well, “It seems strange that your child must be in a child car seat in passenger cars and private car hires, but not in taxis. Why enforce this rule on private car hires and not on taxis?
I respect our taxi drivers, but they aren’t immune to something going wrong.”
Children’s bodies are in fact, more fragile and more susceptible to injuries should collisions occur.
In a study done by KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH), it was found that one in two children who were inside a car during an accident were not in child seats or properly restrained. The majority of infants and toddlers injured in motor accidents were not secured in child seats.
The study also found that children not secured by restraints were 8.4 times more likely to be seriously injured in a road accident compared with those who were.
If we can be obsessed about choosing the best schools for our kids, and making sure that they get the best possible medical care, then we shouldn’t be compromising on child safety seats either.
Fact is, having your child in an appropriate car seat or booster seat can save his or her life.
GrabFamily - Putting Child Safety First
GrabFamily is the only ride service in Singapore that provides child and booster seats. This is a huge relief for parents who don’t own cars of their own - they have the option of travelling safely with their little ones.
GrabFamily cars come equipped with:
- Urban Kanga car seats, suitable for toddlers between 1-3 years old and below 1m tall
- Mifold booster seats, suitable for children between 4-7 years old and between 1-1.35m tall
The Urban Kanga is a portable, forward-facing car seat suitable for toddlers from 9 -18kg. It has a 5-point safety harness and is certified to European standards and approved for use by the Singapore Traffic Police. It is the narrowest car seat in the market.
The Mifold is an ultra-portable, foldable backless booster seat suitable for children aged 4-12 (who weigh 15+kg). It is both US and EU certified, and approved for use by the Singapore Traffic Police. It is super easy to set up. And while a regular booster seat lifts the child up to fit a seatbelt, the Mifold pulls the seatbelt down to suit the child’s height. It also ensures that the seatbelt is correctly placed over a little one’s hip bones (rather than their stomach) and over their shoulder bones (rather than their neck). This means greater comfort and added safety.
All GrabFamily drivers are trained in the use and installation of these child seats, so parents can travel with peace of mind.
To book a GrabFamily car, open the Grab app on your phone and scroll all the way over to the “GrabFamily” option, or head over to grb.to/GrabFamilySG21.
As parents, our child’s safety should be the priority. We need to normalise the culture of using car seats all the time. It isn’t about what’s legal, it’s about what’s best and safest for our children.
