Why do parents in Singapore risk their children's safety by not having a child seat in the car?

[Watwheels]

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/5000-fine-for-man-whose-driving-led-to-accident-that-killed-his-2-month-old-daughter

Quote

 man was fined $5,000 for driving a car without due care, leading to an accident that killed his two-month-old daughter, who was in the back seat. 

Deputy Public Prosecutor Huo Jiongrui said that on Sept 26, 2021, some time before 9.40am, the accused was driving a car in Tampines Avenue 10 with his wife in the rear left passenger seat, cradling their 51-day-old baby.

I think this is the 3rd fatal accident involving a child that a parent is holding/cradling their child while in a car. The last one I recall the pregnant mother is holding the 3 or 4yo daughter in the front passenger seat when the father crashed the car into a parked trailer along the expressway, killing the daughter. Another is a Wish that lost control along the CTE SLE bend killing both mother and child.

In this case the children and mother are in the rear passenger seats. I think the mother, baby and toddler were not in their seat belt and child seats. 

Quote

The impact also flung the accused’s daughter out of her mother’s hands. His wife quickly picked her up from the right rear passenger seat and checked on her. Seeing no visible injury and as she was not crying, the wife carried her and checked on her son, who was crying.

His son suffered several abrasions on his right arm and leg, and his wife had an abrasion laceration over her left elbow and a cut on her left forearm.

I think they are not the only ones that are not strapped in cos many times I have seen children in the rear seats jumping and running around.

Is it because of convenience or because can save some money? Not necessary because parents think they are excellent drivers? Overestimating their own abilities hence no need to have the child seats? Or parents think they are not so unfortunate, not so suay?

I always made it a point for my own two children to buckle up until it becomes a muscle memory for them. My current car also made it a point by giving off annoying pings to make sure all occupants are buckled up. I spent like $500+ bucks on a baby to toddler child seat and later 2 boosters seat as the children grew. Total I spent like $700+, compared to a child's life I think it is necessary. I dont lose a child, dont get a 5year driving suspension and dont get a fine. They are a must buy. It is not because of the laws here or for show but because children lives matter.

[kobayashiGT]

ppl see Singapore that is generally safe, thus they let their guard down. 

 

If ppl see it in another way, they spend numerous night conceiving, the wife have to endure 10 months of pregnancy, and all the monetary involvement that you have contributed. I am sure a child seat is a must. $400 to buy your lineage safety, i think worth it lah. hahaha.

https://www.recaro-kids.com/collections/car-seats/products/avan-baby-car-seat

 

[ER-3682]

Because many Young Kids don't like to sit in Childseat..cry non stop if strap in it..

[inlinesix]

30 minutes ago, ER-3682 said:

Because many Young Kids don't like to sit in Childseat..cry non stop if strap in it..

A lot of parents don't have patience to be parents.

If cry, just goes home lo.

[Voodooman]

29 minutes ago, ER-3682 said:

Because many Young Kids don't like to sit in Childseat..cry non stop if strap in it..

Just a matter of getting used to but it has to start from young.

The kids doesn't know the risk, if shits hit the fan, it is gross negligence on the part of the parents, which should rightly be prosecuted for manslaughter.  

[Sdf4786k]

34 minutes ago, ER-3682 said:

Because many Young Kids don't like to sit in Childseat..cry non stop if strap in it..

I think some cars have a prop up child seat at the rear center arm rest. 

They also come with the seat craddle to buckle down like those in roller coaster. Only need to coax the kid into thinking going for roller coaster and you dont even have to worry about belting the kid down

[Volvobrick]

1 hour ago, Watwheels said:

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/5000-fine-for-man-whose-driving-led-to-accident-that-killed-his-2-month-old-daughter

I think this is the 3rd fatal accident involving a child that a parent is holding/cradling their child while in a car. The last one I recall the pregnant mother is holding the 3 or 4yo daughter in the front passenger seat when the father crashed the car into a parked trailer along the expressway, killing the daughter. Another is a Wish that lost control along the CTE SLE bend killing both mother and child.

In this case the children and mother are in the rear passenger seats. I think the mother, baby and toddler were not in their seat belt and child seats. 

I think they are not the only ones that are not strapped in cos many times I have seen children in the rear seats jumping and running around.

Is it because of convenience or because can save some money? Not necessary because parents think they are excellent drivers? Overestimating their own abilities hence no need to have the child seats? Or parents think they are not so unfortunate, not so suay?

I always made it a point for my own two children to buckle up until it becomes a muscle memory for them. My current car also made it a point by giving off annoying pings to make sure all occupants are buckled up. I spent like $500+ bucks on a baby to toddler child seat and later 2 boosters seat as the children grew. Total I spent like $700+, compared to a child's life I think it is necessary. I dont lose a child, dont get a 5year driving suspension and dont get a fine. They are a must buy. It is not because of the laws here or for show but because children lives matter.

"Nah, I am a safe/expert driver, won't happen to me one...." mentality. That's why. 

[Mkl22]

The mentality is always that it won’t happen to them. How many here actually belt up in the rear, regardless of the length of the journey? 

[Lala81]

Ok lah. depend on every kid. Some kids can give up after a while.

I have to admit that my kid is usually buckled in 99% of the time.
But once every few months, fetching my parents, then 4 pax at the back, sometimes cannot fully buckle. 

When my girl was very young, putting her in the car seat is really sian for the 1st 2 years + cos she can cry all the way until she falls asleep. wake up cry again and repeat. It happens every time/every day. So short is 30+ mins cos in SG, the drives are short.

When we went to Perth when she just turned 2, got a rental with car seat, she can cry for 1hr + and it's annoying as f when u are a parent, u can't really concentrate on driving. So eventually I gave up and let her sit in the back with my wife. But sometime after that, she stopped crying in car seats. 

Anyway all this is small case when she's young. Cos the longest she threw a tantrum for was almost 4 hrs. 

 

 

Edited December 7, 2022 by Lala81

[Soya]

41 minutes ago, ER-3682 said:

Because many Young Kids don't like to sit in Childseat..cry non stop if strap in it..

Being flung off n get seriously injured or killed is definitely one way to stop the non-stop crying....

 

[Soya]

5 minutes ago, Volvobrick said:

"Nah, I am a safe/expert driver, won't happen to me one...." mentality. That's why. 

And they hv force field n super powers to prevent others from crashing into them.

 

[kobayashiGT]

46 minutes ago, ER-3682 said:

Because many Young Kids don't like to sit in Childseat..cry non stop if strap in it..

when they grow up, they will like to get straped. 

 

 

I mean cash-strapped. hahahahahah. Don't think wrongly hor. 

[Rickster]

1 hour ago, Watwheels said:

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/5000-fine-for-man-whose-driving-led-to-accident-that-killed-his-2-month-old-daughter

I think this is the 3rd fatal accident involving a child that a parent is holding/cradling their child while in a car. The last one I recall the pregnant mother is holding the 3 or 4yo daughter in the front passenger seat when the father crashed the car into a parked trailer along the expressway, killing the daughter. Another is a Wish that lost control along the CTE SLE bend killing both mother and child.

In this case the children and mother are in the rear passenger seats. I think the mother, baby and toddler were not in their seat belt and child seats. 

I think they are not the only ones that are not strapped in cos many times I have seen children in the rear seats jumping and running around.

Is it because of convenience or because can save some money? Not necessary because parents think they are excellent drivers? Overestimating their own abilities hence no need to have the child seats? Or parents think they are not so unfortunate, not so suay?

I always made it a point for my own two children to buckle up until it becomes a muscle memory for them. My current car also made it a point by giving off annoying pings to make sure all occupants are buckled up. I spent like $500+ bucks on a baby to toddler child seat and later 2 boosters seat as the children grew. Total I spent like $700+, compared to a child's life I think it is necessary. I dont lose a child, dont get a 5year driving suspension and dont get a fine. They are a must buy. It is not because of the laws here or for show but because children lives matter.

I think it's the same mentality as "accidents are so rare, it won't happen to me" syndrome. 

[Lala81]

10 minutes ago, Mkl22 said:

The mentality is always that it won’t happen to them. How many here actually belt up in the rear, regardless of the length of the journey? 

have to admit i never did that consistently until i was older, like after i started work. 

in uni, one of my classmate friends always insisted we buckle up if he's in the vehicle, but u know guys lah, just defiant...

But nowadays the parents are more aware lah.

 

 

Edited December 7, 2022 by Lala81

[Rickster]

18 minutes ago, inlinesix said:

A lot of parents don't have patience to be parents.

If cry, just goes home lo.

Or over-doting grandparents... my dad cannot take it when my kids cry and will always give me hell if that happens with him around. 

[Karoon]

I think in Sg, by law, kids below 1.37m must use booster seat. Maybe 1% follow. 

 

[Rickster]

12 minutes ago, Volvobrick said:

"Nah, I am a safe/expert driver, won't happen to me one...." mentality. That's why. 

I used to have this mentality in my early years of driving till i got hit head-on by a drunk driver. The impact was significant and the lexus GS300 that hit me probably got totaled. 

That incident changed my views on car safety and from then on, I always put safety a top criteria of cars i buy.

[Lala81]

1 minute ago, Rickster said:

Or over-doting grandparents... my dad cannot take it when my kids cry and will always give me hell if that happens with him around. 

yeah very common. 

That's why i limit my parents involvement in their day to day care (also cos i don't stay close).
My mum can't help but do everything for them.