Seat belts and child safety restraints have saved countless lives in road accidents. Suffice to say the road toll would be much higher without them.
We do know that a lack of belts, or failure to fasten them to restrain the body during collisions, ranks with other deadly risk factors, such as speed, alcohol or a combination of speed and alcohol or drugs.
Children are particularly vulnerable in road accidents if not securely restrained with reliable devices.
It is good therefore they will be safer under new regulations on the use of child restraints to take effect in November. Children under eight years old will need to use safety seats or similar equipment while travelling in private cars.
The move is long overdue. Calls for tighter rules gained impetus after an accident on the Tolo Highway in November 2023 during which an eight-month-old infant and a helper were thrown from a car that crashed into a barrier.
The new law targets private cars as they have been involved in about half of traffic-accident related injuries among children aged under eight, well ahead of buses and taxis.
