ok, so i'm from south africa...and i don't agree with you either - why is the continent compared to a country?!? it sounds like oprah - who came back from holiday and said that she's been to africa - she was not even in 2 provinces of south africa - it's a continent for crying out loud!!!

weird comment, but ok:

the story from south africa in the last month is that a really well known comedian's little girl burnt to death in the car, while her mom was unpacking it (she was strapped in, which is according to superior europeans a bit foreign...so) and that has also been with me for a few weeks now...

sorry about the rant bit - both these incidents are terrible! annual advanced driving courses at my previous south african company were compulsory (in africa, can you believe it...and we drove bmw or audi) and the last session was always about child safety - they use shock tactics but it always made me so much more aware - a box of tissues in the back window can take of your skull and a child on your lap is like a human shield

but my heart goes out to these mothers...the death of a child is just not thinkable...

There was a similar incident in England recently where the toddler managed to undo the seatbelt the holds the car seat in place and then opened the door. He fell out into the traffic and was hit by a car but luckily the car seat saved him. If the child locks were used these type of accident could be prevented.

My little boy has been able to wriggle free of his five point harness since he was about 20 months. It was all fitted to the manufacturer's instructions and I always pull the straps tight up to the green marker as stipulated in the instructions.

It ended up that one of us had to sit in the back with him to make sure he stayed put and we provided him with enough material (and banana chips) to keep him busy for the trip.

Now he is almost three I have been able to reason with him, instilling in him that it is VERY dangerous to play with the buckle and straps on the seat but I made a deal with him if he is a good boy he can help me "click" open the button (which is too difficult for his chubby little hands alone) at the end of the journey and he gets the additional treat of being able to lock/open the car with the "plip-plip" key fob.

The result is that he stays put in his seat and doesn't fiddle with it at all.

I don't think it is all about the seat standard and the regulations; you have to put some responsibility on the toddler as well. If they don't know the dangers, that is probably the biggest risk to them.

http://www.parentdish.com/2009/10/07...n-bungee-cord/

It's not just babies and toddlers who are at risk from complete idiots who never should have been allowed to reproduce.

Cheers

Jim

Very true, my 3 year old can and has undone his car seat harness and the seat belt that holds it in place, he has also attempted to open the door when we have been moving hence the importance of the child locks on the doors.

Just by way of update; it will become law in April 2010 for all children up to 12 years old (or 150 cm) to have an appropriate car seat or restraint. Previously it was only the law for children up to 7 years old.

See here (in German - sorry).

But will it make the use of the setting of child-proof doorlocks (as fitted
to practically every car) and rear electric-window locks compulsory?

That seems to be what was missing in this tragedy
.

In English: http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/front/Ch...30836000&ty=st

Can I just have someone tell me i misunderstand...?

Namely: There appear to be parents (even here on EF) who have their
young children in the back of the car in a kiddy seat, but who do not
"kiddy-lock" the rear doors and windows?

Someone tell me this aint so! Pleeeeeaze!!!!
.

An interesting twist.

It truly is amazing about the rants and raves about Switzerland that go on, on this list.

First you complain about excessive laws and rules and now you complain there are not enough.

In some instances, here in Switzerland you are responsible for your own welfare. If you do something stupid and you get hurt you can not blame someone else or sue like you can in America.

I have seen some real scary stuff in American such as cars nearly falling apart on the street, mothers leaving their children in hot cars and so on.

I see many people who are not very responsible and do things that I think are not so bright. I could spend a lot of time complaining about this or that but then I would be in a fairly negative state of mind and be an unhappy camper. The story about the child falling out of the car is definitely horrific but horrific things will continue to happen. What I need to do is worry about myself and my behavior. I need to focus on the good.

Focus

Where did you see that? I have scanned through the thread and haven't seen anything that remotely hinted that any EF members state that they do not use the kiddy locks. For the sake of clarity, I can categorically say that our kiddy locks are used (to the disgruntlement of adults occasionally travelling in the back seat of our car having to wait for us to remember to let them out).

I think if the toddler had been properly restrained the kiddy locks would have been redundant. If they are in the proper seat they can't reach the door handles (well, our toddler can't anyway).

Note, those are raw images of the accident, on the following image u can see where the handle is located and with the booster seat I guess it wasen't to hard to reach the handle *fluids on the ground are not blood. Image by www.newspictures.ch

But it wasn't, and they weren't.
.

Is that a fact now? First reports I read stated that the child had in fact been in a car seat but had managed to get out if it. And there is still the possibility that the door-look malfunctioned.

Ja, I just heard, this evening, that considerations are being taken that from April next year, children under the age of 12, and under the height of 1.5m, will be required to be buckled into a special child-seat.

That is all I heard, from a person who keeps informed of latest news. I dunno anymore, just thought this may give some idea of clarrification.

Not just "considerations", it will be law - see my post further up this page and Macchiato found the article in English a bit further down.

Actually,the child in this story,has a carseat,he somehow unlocks himself and manages to open the door and flies out!(another question is,how could he unluck himself?Are kids strong enough to do that?)
Not everyone has a car with childlock.I think it is important to teach the child to sit still in the car,or paying attention also what he does behind so that you can stop the car.

From the story linked in quote from Macchiato:
(Underlined section, emphasis mine)

It isn't a matter of "strength" it is how they are purposefully designed.



If you are a parent of a child under 12 years old, you should not buy a car that lacks such locks.

Meanwhile, I agree. It IS important for parents to teach their children the importance of staying seated and not fiddling with the door handles.

Unfortunately, a lot of children are curious enough to start fiddling with those things (both the harness catch AND the door handle) at a far earlier stage than they are capable of understanding reasoning. I can imagine my 2yo nephew being able to figure out how to work those simple mechanical devices, I KNOW it is very hard to get him to not do something like that that he's figured out, he thinks it is a fun game to be told "no." (Thankfully both vehicles owned by my brother's family have child-safety door locks and I can attest to the fact they are put to use.)

I don't know of any cars that don't have child locks on the rear doors, certainlly every car I have ever owned in the last 20 years has had them.

Our son was also able to unlock himself for a very very early age.

this just sounds like a tragic accident to me, could happen to any parent.

could they have made sure the child locks worked, well yes maybe, but then again who checks these things regularly?? maybe they didn't even know how to enable them?? I'm sure the parents are beating themselves up about it enough already.