Somehow, car seats have not caught on in India at all. Most urban car owners voluntarily wear seat belts for themselves and understand it’s value. Yet, inexplicably, they do not find it necessary to secure their child by using a car seat. There are many myths around the usage of car seats, perhaps and here we try to bust some of them:
Myth no. 1: Holding the child is safer than strapping him to a seat
While there is no doubting that holding the child will make the toddler feel safer, there is tremendous data available that suggests otherwise. During a mishap or accident, one puts the child at a greater risk by holding him/her– greater than the person holding him/her. All the safety features of a car that come into play during a crash, revolve around the idea of the car seat holding a person back adequately. Without, your child being secured tightly around the defined seating area, other safety measures will not be able to provide protection. Infact, even front airbags can be extremely risky for a child and hence children are advised to be put in the back seat.
Myth no. 2: India’s traffic is too slow to warrant a need for a car seat
Just ask yourself if you have you ever experienced sudden braking in a car? No matter how you drive and where you drive, nobody can avoid sudden surprises on the road in India. That in itself is reason enough for a child to be secured in a car seat. Overall, ofcourse India’s road safety record is appalling. In the last decade or so, more than 1.2 million people in India have died in road accidents. Children are particularly vulnerable to injury, but as data from the US reveals, proper seats and restraints can reduce the risk of injury and death for children by as much as 71% for kids under one year of age and by 54% for toddlers between one and four years.
Car seats are compulsory in all advanced countries
Myth no. 3: Car seats are expensive
The obvious retort to that is, that if you can afford a car you can afford a good car seat. Ofcourse, as a parent, it’s a given that one looks at the child’s safety above all else, but at Bragpacker, affordability is something we can help with. You can rent a car seat or booster seat starting at as little as Rs. 75 from Bragpacker. So, now you have no excuse to ever undertake a road trip with your child without a car seat – it will cost you less than the fuel you fill in your car.
Myth no. 4: Car seats are cumbersome to use
Now there’s some truth to this, but again, there are enough resources out there to help you out in terms of detailed guides and YouTube videos. Increasingly, newer car seats are using innovative designs to make the whole installation process extremely intuitive. Nowhere is this truer than the very advanced Mifold grab-n-go booster seat that has revolutionized the car seat technology and made it very easy to use – so easy that even the children can use it themselves! Bragpacker may be the only site in India where you can Rent or Try this unique product.
The revolutionary Mi-fold portable car booster seat
Myth no. 5: In India it’s not compulsory, so why bother?
As mentioned before, India’s roads are very dangerous, and while nothing can guarantee safety, a car seat lends a great amount of assurance. Car seats are, of course, a matter of law in most other countries – remember a time when seatbelts and helmets were also not mandatory here? Indian laws are running behind, but it’s only a matter of time that we catch up to the reality of child safety on the road. We suggest, you try out a car seat and see how safe it makes you feel about your child in the car.
Expensive, difficult to use, sometimes unpractical because of the space it takes – limiting the number of people that can fit on the back seat – these are all relevant reasons to give that car seat a miss, but when you put it in the context of your child’s safety, you realise that it’s all worth it! And at Bragpacker, you’ll find us providing you innovative solutions to help you along this very important travel essential.