Do you need a car seat in hong kong?
- Thread starter sushierao
- Start date
Honkyblues
Registered User
The laws of the land say you don't need one.
The laws of physics say you do.
I can't believe that if you drive your own car, you wouldn't put a car seat for your baby in it. Do you really think that in any kind of accident your mom or helper holding your baby will actually protect it? If they even managed to hold on to your baby, their own body weight (especially when multiplied by G-force of impact) would probably kill or seriously injure your child. But it's most likely that as the baby's weight when thrown forward in a 30mph crash is equivalent to 8 bags of cement, they will be unable to hold on to your child who will become a flying missile in the car (or through the windscreen).
Take a look at:
http://www.capt.org.uk/safety-advice/keeping-your-child-safe-car
Sorry if this sounds harsh, but it beggars belief that when you have your own car you are seriously considering doing without a seatbelt.
The laws of physics say you do.
I can't believe that if you drive your own car, you wouldn't put a car seat for your baby in it. Do you really think that in any kind of accident your mom or helper holding your baby will actually protect it? If they even managed to hold on to your baby, their own body weight (especially when multiplied by G-force of impact) would probably kill or seriously injure your child. But it's most likely that as the baby's weight when thrown forward in a 30mph crash is equivalent to 8 bags of cement, they will be unable to hold on to your child who will become a flying missile in the car (or through the windscreen).
Take a look at:
http://www.capt.org.uk/safety-advice/keeping-your-child-safe-car
Sorry if this sounds harsh, but it beggars belief that when you have your own car you are seriously considering doing without a seatbelt.
carang
Registered User
one of the things i REALLY don't understand:
in hk, parents seem to take their kids to the doctor the second they have a runny nose.... "my child's health is the most important thing" they say....
then they hold their baby in their lap while in a car! it really boggles my mind....
do you want your baby to become a bullet? that is what will happen if you don't restrain him/her properly in a car seat!
if you love your child and your child's safety is really the most important thing to you..... get a car seat... and use it! i don't care if the baby cries for an hour straight (mine did!).... at least the baby is safe!
in hk, parents seem to take their kids to the doctor the second they have a runny nose.... "my child's health is the most important thing" they say....
then they hold their baby in their lap while in a car! it really boggles my mind....
do you want your baby to become a bullet? that is what will happen if you don't restrain him/her properly in a car seat!
if you love your child and your child's safety is really the most important thing to you..... get a car seat... and use it! i don't care if the baby cries for an hour straight (mine did!).... at least the baby is safe!
. A personal choice, but not required by law.penguinsix
Registered User
People are rightly pointing out the physics of this, so I thought I'd try to give you a bit of an example. My math is a bit rough here, but basically it would work out something like this:
For a newborn, goto the store and buy 4 liters of say Pepsi. That will weigh about 4kgs, or about 9 lbs. For a six month old, get about 6 liters (about 15 lbs).
Goto the second floor of a building, about 20 feet off the ground (for a quick comparison a double decker is about 14 bus feet tall). Sit down and have the Pepsi in your lap (not clutching it, just sort of in your lap).
Close your eyes and than have someone push you off the edge (because you never know when an accident would happen).
Did the Pepsi break? Were you able to hold it in your arms?
At 20 feet, by the time you hit the ground you'd be going about 25mph (40km/h), which is probably the average speed on many roads, but well below the freeway speeds. When you hit the ground, your newborn 'baby' would be thrown with the force of 250lbs out of your arms. It would be basically be a projectile ripped from your arms and thrown into the windshield of your car.
This isn't a perfect example but might give you an idea of some of the forces you'll be dealing with trying to hold a baby in your arms during a car crash.
Please, get a car seat. Take no comfort whatsoever in the fact that the government has failed to mandate you to do so.
Get a car seat, please.
(others who didn't sleep through physics lessons can feel free to update my math).
More on the math:
http://www.wku.edu/~david.neal/116/Unit2/FallingObject.pdf
http://www.physicsforums.com/archive/index.php/t-208805.html
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070920020229AAfLIfp
For a newborn, goto the store and buy 4 liters of say Pepsi. That will weigh about 4kgs, or about 9 lbs. For a six month old, get about 6 liters (about 15 lbs).
Goto the second floor of a building, about 20 feet off the ground (for a quick comparison a double decker is about 14 bus feet tall). Sit down and have the Pepsi in your lap (not clutching it, just sort of in your lap).
Close your eyes and than have someone push you off the edge (because you never know when an accident would happen).
Did the Pepsi break? Were you able to hold it in your arms?
At 20 feet, by the time you hit the ground you'd be going about 25mph (40km/h), which is probably the average speed on many roads, but well below the freeway speeds. When you hit the ground, your newborn 'baby' would be thrown with the force of 250lbs out of your arms. It would be basically be a projectile ripped from your arms and thrown into the windshield of your car.
This isn't a perfect example but might give you an idea of some of the forces you'll be dealing with trying to hold a baby in your arms during a car crash.
Please, get a car seat. Take no comfort whatsoever in the fact that the government has failed to mandate you to do so.
Get a car seat, please.
(others who didn't sleep through physics lessons can feel free to update my math).
More on the math:
http://www.wku.edu/~david.neal/116/Unit2/FallingObject.pdf
http://www.physicsforums.com/archive/index.php/t-208805.html
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070920020229AAfLIfp
Last edited:
Will baby carrier protect your baby in a moving vehicle?
Researchers Kathleen Weber and John Melvin of the Highway Safety Research Institute at the University of Michigan Medical School tested this scenario using a 30 mph, front, dynamic crash test of the type required by the current federal safety standard for child car seats. In the crash test, an adult held the baby in a soft, cloth front carrier like the Baby Bjorn and used a lap/shoulder belt. The researchers found that this infant was at a very high risk. The tested carrier shredded completely, ejecting the infant dummy into the dashboard. If the carrier had not shredded, they found that the infant would likely still not have survived. As the adult's head traveled forward in the whiplash motion, the adult's chin would have slammed down into the infant's head right where the soft spot is.
If you find yourself in a taxi with just your infant and a Baby Bjorn (hopefully you never will), there is no way to protect your baby. However, you can still protect yourself by wearing your seatbelt. Putting the seatbelt over you and the baby will only make matters worse. It will not help the baby and will endanger you in the process.
The link: http://www.thecarseatlady.com/taxis/using_taxis_8.html (more relevant information about how to protect your baby in a car in the link)
Researchers Kathleen Weber and John Melvin of the Highway Safety Research Institute at the University of Michigan Medical School tested this scenario using a 30 mph, front, dynamic crash test of the type required by the current federal safety standard for child car seats. In the crash test, an adult held the baby in a soft, cloth front carrier like the Baby Bjorn and used a lap/shoulder belt. The researchers found that this infant was at a very high risk. The tested carrier shredded completely, ejecting the infant dummy into the dashboard. If the carrier had not shredded, they found that the infant would likely still not have survived. As the adult's head traveled forward in the whiplash motion, the adult's chin would have slammed down into the infant's head right where the soft spot is.
If you find yourself in a taxi with just your infant and a Baby Bjorn (hopefully you never will), there is no way to protect your baby. However, you can still protect yourself by wearing your seatbelt. Putting the seatbelt over you and the baby will only make matters worse. It will not help the baby and will endanger you in the process.
The link: http://www.thecarseatlady.com/taxis/using_taxis_8.html (more relevant information about how to protect your baby in a car in the link)
http://www.ted.com/talks/steven_levitt_on_child_carseats.html
Whilst I'm not fully agreeing with him. He does raise some interesting points re: the carseat manufacturers.
Think I will stick to MTR... Btw, what if the MTR is involved in a headon crash, how to secure your baby in that situation??
Guessing statistical data doesn't mix well with potential emotional loss of child...
Sent from my GT-I9100 using GeoClicks Mobile
Whilst I'm not fully agreeing with him. He does raise some interesting points re: the carseat manufacturers.
Think I will stick to MTR... Btw, what if the MTR is involved in a headon crash, how to secure your baby in that situation??
Guessing statistical data doesn't mix well with potential emotional loss of child...
Sent from my GT-I9100 using GeoClicks Mobile