Road Safety Advocates highlights Child Car Seat Law relevance, explains next steps

The law protecting children on the road by mandating the use of child car seats in private vehicles was signed on March 12, 2019.

Atty. Melisa Comafay, IDEALS Inc. Road Safety Project Coordinator highlighted the timeliness and relevance of the law stating that “Child Restraint System (CRS) is the only risk factor amongst the 5 factors cited by WHO that lacks a comprehensive legal framework in the Philippines, when in fact it protects our most vulnerable road users – our children.”

The main safety measures of the RA 11229 or the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act of 2019 are “(1) mandating the use of child restraint systems in private vehicles and requiring the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to determine appropriate safety measures for children transported in public motor vehicles. (2) Ensuring that children are not left in vehicles without an adult companion and (3) that children below 12 years old are not allowed to sit in the front seat,” she added.

Atty. Comafay also believes that “the law will, as statistics provide, lower the risk of road safety crash injuries to children by 70%.

Department of Transportation Undersecretary, Mark de Leon, echoed its importance assuring that RA No. 11229 “answers the vulnerability of our kids in car crashes.”

Road Safety advocates gathered in Marriott Hotel June 2019 for Philippine Road Safety Workshop

Next steps for the law, raising awareness

With the passage of the law, comes the drafting of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). The road safety coalition in the Philippines together with selected government agencies and other stakeholders are working as the Technical Working group for the IRR.

“Even though the penalties provided will be implemented a year from the IRR, it is best that as early as now we educate ourselves on the importance of CRS, and purchase the appropriate child safety seat for our children according to age, weight, and height.” Atty. Comafay noted.

While the DOTr undersecretary stresses that a multi-sectoral approach must be done to make sure the law will be properly implemented.

“[the DOTr] has been on the forefront of many road safety advocacies, there are many strategies to address road safety and we are hoping private sectors help push for road safety campaign to reduce car crash injuries and death with the help of various sectors,” DOTr Usec De Leon said.

“Awareness among other things must be highlighted, the measure of a good law is the awareness of the people, not the penalties,” he added.

He concluded that “the Implementation of Rules and Regulation will be more effective if it is being implemented side by side with existing laws on road safety like speed limit, drink driving, etc.”