Child safety transport crucial: Director
Published on: Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Penampang: Parents must place utmost importance on child safety when they are passengers in their vehicles by finding out proper use of car seats for their children and the right type of motorcycle helmets, said new Sabah Welfare Director Mohd Nor bin Wahab.He said it is imperative for them to realise it because children are categorised as most exposed passenger to danger from road accidents and fatal mishaps based on the International Road Traffic and Accident Database (IRTAD) source."The 2013 IRTAD statistic on road safety revealed that Malaysia is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for road accidents whereby 23.8 deaths were recorded in 100,000 population.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Also, children are not left out from this where they are perceived as being the most vulnerable passenger who is exposed to hazards from road mishaps," he said.Mohd Nor said this in his speech at the closing three-day workshop on Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Campaign 2015 held at the headquarters of Sabah TASKA Services Association (PPTS) here on Sunday.The first-time workshop was jointly organised by Sabah TASKA Services Association (PPTS) and Association of Registered Childcare Providers Malaysia (PPBM) but sponsored by Volkswagen.The CPS training was aimed to educate 39 operators of child care centres and the child carers in Sabah on the proper use of car seats for their small children and to advocate the campaign so that the awareness on the child safety would be improved.
ADVERTISEMENT
Mohd Nor's speech text was delivered by the department's principal assistant director (Children and Community Service Order Division) Dayang Rugayah Ag. Besar in the event.Volkswagen fully sponsored seven CPS workshops in the country and the first one is held here. The reputable car company also sponsored 27 car seats for the 27 child care centres in Sabah to be used by the operators and child carers to advocate and promote the campaign by educating the parents on the importance of using certified car seats for their small children.
ADVERTISEMENT
Also present were PPTS President Datin Nelly Munang, PPBM President Datin Wong Poai Hong and the participants.Mohd Nor said the organising the CPS workshop is timely so that the child care centres and their child carers gain latest knowledge and acquire skills to create awareness on the importance of CPS."Learning about CPS is a very valuable information as it would be a wake-up call to parents to realise the importance of emphasising their children's safety when bringing them along in their trips either short or long haul journey."Also, practicing the knowledge is a precautionary measure that parents should take to minimise the risks for their small children to get hurt and could even prevent possible deaths when involved in road accidents," he said.He said he is very pleased with good response showed by the participants as they acknowledge and learn the wrong way of buckling up their small children or let their children wearing wrong type of helmets for parents who are motorcyclists.Meanwhile. Rugayah said she believed that many parents in Sabah are unaware of child passenger safety and some do not have the knowledge how to make the children safe inside the vehicles.She noted there are many new information and skills to acquire from the workshop that are alien to the participants and to herself."I was surprised to know that there are many types of car seats for our small children and it is being produced in different sizes as there are thin or chubby babies.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
Daily Express Malaysia
