THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
August 23, 2024 at 17:41 JST
A Japan Automobile Federation employee confirms that a child seat is installed correctly and securely. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
A nationwide drivers’ association is set to raise the recommended height for using child safety seats from under 140 centimeters to under 150 cm to reduce the risk of seat belts causing neck and abdomen injuries in the event of an accident.
The Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) will issue the new guidelines as early as next month.
Under current Japanese law, children under the age of 6 are required to use a child seat.
However, some automakers have already set their own standards, recommending child safety seat use for kids less than 150 cm tall.
The average height of Japanese children exceeds 150 cm by the age of 12, according to a recent government survey.
The JAF has been discussing changing its own guidelines with relevant organizations since last summer.
The move follows a growing number of accidents involving young children who were not in child safety seats.
Most recently, two sisters ages 5 and 7 were killed in an accident in Fukuoka on Aug. 18 when their vehicle collided with a bus. According to the police, neither was using a child seat, and both were wearing seat belts.
The sisters suffered internal bleeding, suggesting that their abdomens may have been compressed by the seat belts.
Experts emphasize the importance of securely fastening seat belts across the strongest parts of the body, such as the collarbone, breastbone and pelvis, whether using a child safety seat or a seat belt.
"If the belt is around the neck or abdomen, it can be extremely dangerous," said professor Daisuke Ito of Kansai University who specializes in traffic accident safety. "In addition to using a seat that meets safety standards, it's crucial to visually confirm that the seat belt is properly fastened."
Child safety seats come in various types. Those with their own built-in harnesses are designed for infants and toddlers up to 4 years old. Older children are recommended to use booster seats that utilize the vehicle’s seat belt.
(This article was written by Ryuta Sometaya and Yukiko Nakamura.)
Power windows in spotlight after 2-year-old dies in tragic accident
May 23, 2024
After ‘18-minute miracle,’ crash survivors seek return to normal
January 8, 2024
Foreign parents use unlicensed child care amid lack of support
June 26, 2022
Infant died from choking on bread at unauthorized child care facility
May 10, 2022
Train etiquette comes to fore in envoy’s video on priority seating
August 5, 2023
Stories about memories of cherry blossoms solicited from readers
Cooking experts, chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life.
A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry
A series on the death of a Japanese woman that sparked a debate about criminal justice policy in the United States
A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II
Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors.
