Another parent advocate has reminded fellow guardians and motorists to make sure their child car seats are properly installed, saying that child restraint systems (CRS) are not an expense but a long-time investment.
In an interview with Radyoman Rod Marcelino, Antonio Otero, child safety advocate and father of 8- and 6-year-old children, shared that his kids are long-time users of child car seats even before the Republic Act (RA) No. 11229 or the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act was passed.
For Otero and his wife, the ultimate goal is to get their children safely secured when they are in a vehicle, and other car owners cannot use the cost of a child car seat as a justification for not buying one. “Ang ultimate purpose naman niya (child car seats) ay i-secure ang mga treasures natin, which is ‘yung mga anak natin,” he said.
“Although may mga factor po talaga, kagaya ng dagdag gastos, pero kung iisipin nga po natin – napakamura na nga po ng sasakyan. Kung tayo po ay nakakapaginvest sa ating sasakyan para maging mobile at makarating sa iba’t ibang lugar, papaano naman po ang ating seguridad, lalong lalo na ng mga bata kapag kasama po natin sila sa mga byahe.”
As the frequent driver of his family, Otero also noted that child car seats put him at ease knowing that his kids are secured – most especially as he cannot control the actions and vehicles of other drivers.
He admitted that these seats are not easy to install at first, however, he added that tutorial videos are easily accessible now. The Land Transportation Office (LTO) are also keen on educating the public about RA No. 11229, which includes training enforcers on how to install child car seats.
The father advocate also pointed out that having child car seats isn’t enough, but it should be able to properly accommodate a child’s height, weight, and stage of development.
Otero’s advice for fellow parents, most especially fathers: “Hindi lamang po ito palamuti sa ating mga sasakyan, na masabi lang na mayroong child car seat, pero ang importante po ay maunawaan natin bilang mga ama kung bakit napapanahon na po ito sa Pilipinas – para mas mai-prayoridad natin ang safety ng ating mga anak.”
“Dahil po hiniling namin na magkaroon ng anak, ginagawa po namin ang lahat upang at least ma-secure po sila at maging masaya po ang aming pagba-byahe,” he added.
Buckle Up, RMN’s new program aimed at providing listeners with information regarding the new Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act, airs Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3:30 PM and Saturdays at 8:00 AM.
