Child booster seats mandatory in Kerala?

With accident cases with child causalities on the rise, an idea was floated about mandatory Child seats in cars and child helmets in two-wheelers. Experts have already suggested that it is safer for young children to travel in the rear section of the car. All new cars have airbag systems to protect the front seat passenger and the driver. Airbags work fine for adults but have not proven effective with children as more cases of death have been reported despite children smashing into functioning airbags. Citing these reasons, the officials floated the idea of emulating foreign countries by allowing special seats for children in cars.

According to the new directive, children above the age of four should have a separate child seat with a belt. It also says that children up to 14 years of age should use a booster seat. Reports suggest a dearth of booster seats in the Kerala market.

More than three pillion riders are a normal sight in rural provinces of neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. One family can easily mount a diminutive bike for their travel. The government are not wary of the dangerous breach of traffic rules nor do the citizens have any concern. However, it is far from the ideal notion to be imbibed when concerned with traffic rules. Traffic laws and reforms in India are mostly implemented in towns and urban areas. With the high court now ruling in favour of tinted glass covers, many have turned their car window back to black.

Any reforms need consent from people before implementation. The now floated rules intending to provide more safety to child passengers should also follow this course of obtaining consent from the public. Hasty implementation is unwarranted.