Every day we hear about unhappy incidents on the roads. There isn’t a day when I pick up the newspaper and I don’t read about accidents. And when it comes to our babies, we do not want to take a risk.

There are two rules, I am very stringent on when travelling with my baby in a car.

Car Seat – There’s no compromising on that. Especially in a city like Delhi where road rage is an epidemic. If you’ve ever been even slightly hit and suffered an impact, you’d know that you have no control over your body or time to react to the impact. Whenever travelling with my baby, I make it a point to buckle him in. Come tantrums or tears. The car seat at least acts as a safety harness to some extent. And of course, a boon when travelling alone with him.

Child lock – the manufacturers make it for a reason. My son is at an age where he wants to explore everything. Including the lock and handle. A definite MUST. Front seat lap travel for him or any baby when I am in control is a BIG NO nada for me. I’ve been in an accident a few years ago and suffered, I know exactly how dangerous collisions and impacts can be, especially to a tiny, fragile baby. Some may term it as paranoia, but I’d rather play it safe. Accidents don’t announce themselves before occurring. Try taking an impact from a car coming to you at a mere 15km/hr and you’ll know what I am talking about.

I urge all parents to please play it safe, especially in a place like Delhi where we have madmen cruising around the city. Being a careful driver is just not enough.

Would love to hear your say on this topic. Do you think it’s safe for children to travel in the front seat of the car, (mostly without even a seatbelt)? Is car seat a waste of money or it is a necessity for our baby’s safety in a country like ours?

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Points to consider when buying a car seat:

Choosing the Right Car Seat

You just need to consider three things:

• Your baby’s age
• Your baby’s weight and height
• Whether the car seat meets safety standards

Types of Car seats:

Rear-Facing Seats: For newborns and infants

Forward-Facing Seats: Children must be at least 2-years-old or have reached the maximum height or weight capacity of the car seat.

Booster Seats: Children should be over 18 Kgs.

Harnessing:

Look for a model that has a 5-point harness (two shoulder straps, two waist straps, and one strap between the legs that meet in the middle), side-impact protection (extra foam or air pads at the side of baby’s head)

It’s always better to buy a car seat new. If you do have to buy a used seat, make sure it hasn’t been recalled. Also, call the manufacturer to check that the seat is still safe. DON’T use any used seat that:

• is obviously worn
• has loose or torn parts
• has been in an accident

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