Russians do not understand the risks of transporting children without car seats

30 November 2011

According to the poll, the majority of Russians are not aware of the risks dealing with transporting children without car seats

Most Russians do not fully realize the risk of transporting children inside cars, therefore the Russians ignore additional protection means in cars such as car seats and seat belts. This conclusion was confirmed by the poll conducted by the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM) within the framework of the large-scale social campaign "Car Seat to Every Child".

All in all more than two thousand people were polled in 150 communities of the Russian Federation.

"It was found that the majority of respondents - about 68% - erroneously believe that most often the young pedestrians suffer the motor vehicle accidents, whereas the statistics shows that during the past few years this indicator was steady declining. On the other hand the casualties among young passengers are coming up - said the Deputy Head of the regulation and promotion of the road safety of the Russian Traffic Police reporting to the Russian Interior Ministry police colonel Vladimir Shevchenko. – Moreover, these deaths could be avoided if the parents took care of the child's safety in the car, fastened the seat belt and accommodated children in specially designed car seats"/

According to statistics, during 10 months in 2011 the accidents on the Russian roads took the toll of 801 children, including 259 pedestrians, 448 passengers and 58 cyclists. Most of the casualties were children who were sitting inside cars without using child car seats.

The survey revealed that about 84-86% of respondents are well aware that transporting children without using the child restraint is a violation of the traffic rules. Unfortunately, only 2.4% of Russians believe that this is a violent or risky offense and only 47% of parents of children under 12 years of age have cars equipped with child seats. 44% of parents do no have the seats and they do not plan buying the seats.

More than half of respondents (56-59%) used taxi or private drivers to transport their children. The information was given that these vehicles were not equipped with cars in 86% in Moscow and 82% of cases elsewhere.

"The drivers of vehicles (77%) are the main cause of deterioration of the situation with child accidents on the roads; this was the answer most respondents gave - said Vladimir Shevchenko. - And this fact is hard to argue with, because statistics shows that to date over 80% of accidents occurs because of drivers. It often happens that the parents bring children inside cars not only forget about seat belts or car seats, they violate traffic rules, they are speeding, entering the oncoming traffic lane, and even drive the car after drinking alcohol."

The public organization "Risk Free Road Traffic" All-Russia to participate in social campaign "Car seat to every child!" The public organization "Risk Free Road Traffic" made two legislative initiatives. "We believe that the fine for failing to use car seats should be significantly increased - said the President Natalia Agre. - It must be comparable with the cost of the car seat making 3-5 thousand rubles. And we believe that children from the maternity hospital should taken only if the car is equipped with the baby cradle. If parents cannot take care of their children safety, then the state will have to intervene".

The majority of Russians is ready to support these initiatives. Thus, according to the opinion polls, 19% of Russians consider acceptable the amount of fine for transporting children without CRF from 500 to 999 rubles; those who feel the fine should range from 1000 to 4999 rubles amount to 19%, the group favoring the fine above 5000 rubles is equal to 15%.

58% of Muscovites surveyed and 45% of the Russians said they were supportive of the legislative initiative to take babies from the maternity hospitals only if a car is equipped n with a child restraining facility.

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