THE New Vois Association of the Philippines is calling on the Department of Health and the Automobile Association Philippines to join the push for the immediate passage of the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act of 2017.
Einstein Rojas, a volunteer from NVAP and a road crash survivor, said the support of the two institutions would be necessary if lawmakers are to see the importance in passing such a measure.
“We hope that the DoH and AAP would lend their vital support to push for the said measures, which aims to ensure safety of children in any form of motor vehicle while in transit,” said Rojas.
He said the DoH’s endorsement would be significant since it is very much aware of the ill effects of road crashes to a family, both economically and emotionally.
“Having the mandate of ensuring the health and wellness of the people, pushing for the child car seat law would allow the DoH to protect more Pinoys, especially children, from the dangers of potential road crashes,” said Rojas.
The NVAP official said the AAP’s approval of the consolidated House Bills 1319 and 5595 would be crucial since the organization is a knowledge base when it comes to the general welfare of motorists in the country.
“Having the country’s biggest and oldest auto club on board would be very much welcome since its very words supporting the measure would vouch that a child car seat is not a want but rather a need for motorists,” said Rojas.
Just last month, the House committee on transportation approved a bill requiring private vehicles to install car seats for children.
A child car seat is a device that is attached to the passenger seat of a vehicle to accommodate a child occupant in a sitting position or for infants in lying down position for protection against injury or death from a road crash.
According to the World Health Organization, children may not be safe wearing adult seatbelts because these do not suit specifications.
Based on data gathered by NVAP, there were 24,656 road crashes in the Philippines in 2015 with 1,040 deaths reported. DoH records added that road crashes has been the second leading cause of death among children aged zero to 17 years old.