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'Stay Alert. Stay Alive' (Following the successful event in Dubai last Friday, next comes the Abu Dhabi event). Â Abu Dhabi Corniche Event
·        Friday, 16th April ·        10:00-20:00 ·        BMW Group Middle East will be giving away 2,000 child booster seats (age 6-11), information brochures and there will be the full range of BMW child seats to demonstrate how to use them.   Road safety continues to grow as a serious public health issue around the world and never before has it been more important for everyone to take action and help improve the situation, especially action by you.
According to the WHO, road traffic accidents kill more than 1.2 million people and injure more than 50 million worldwide every year. These figures are alarming and they are expected to grow over the next coming years. Yet you can play a role in making the situation better.
Car safety is everyone’s responsibility
A split-second is all it takes. Just a momentary lapse in concentration or judgement that results in a terrifying collision. It needn’t be your fault, as no one can predict it, yet you need to ensure that all steps are taken to protect you, your family, and all passengers within your vehicle. It is not about how skilled a driver you are but, rather, whether you are a responsible driver.
BMW Group Middle East believes that everyone should be fully aware of how best to protect themselves and their children against the dangers posed by driving. We all have a role to play; the government, automotive makers, and the public at large. That’s what led us to partner with the Health Authority - Abu Dhabi and Dubai’s Road & Transport Authority – to launch a campaign that helps make you understand the seriousness of the situation and what necessary action you can take to improve it.
While you cannot always prevent accidents, you can help reduce the risk of injuries in the event of a collision. In the UAE, 29 per cent of all road deaths involve car passengers. This statistic could easily be reversed if drivers insisted on all passengers wearing seat-belts or were restrained appropriately. It’s the dividing line between life or death.
Importance of Buckling-Up
Without a doubt, the simplest way for drivers and passengers to stay safe is to buckle-up every time. Over 70 per cent of drivers travel with their children or their families, according to a survey conducted by BMW on road safety within the GCC. However, 37 per cent of these admitted that they did not use seat-belts all the time in the front of the vehicle, while a staggering 86 per cent disclosed that they do not use them all the time in the rear of the vehicle.
When it came to protecting children, the results were even more unsettling. While 94 per cent of respondents said that it was important for children to use restraints, 37 per cent confessed that their children didn’t use them. In fact, most admitted to holding their children in their arms as a passenger, an extremely dangerous practice that you certainly need to stop.
Understanding child safety within your vehicle
Until the age of seven, children’s bones are still forming, which means they must be protected from the force of an accident. Babies’ skulls are extremely flexible and even a small impact can result in significant deformation of the head and brain. Also, an infant’s rib cage is still elastic, and any impact to the chest can damage the heart, lungs and other internal organs. At this age, the pelvis is unstable and cannot withstand the forces from the use of regular seat-belts featured in your car. Therefore, appropriate child restraints are essential to reduce the risk of injury
It is essential for you as a parent to make sure that you use the right restraint for your child’s age and size. There are different seats available and the selection of the appropriate one is crucial in ensuring that your child is effectively protected. Here are the different options at your disposal:
Rear-facing Infant Car Seat: Designed for infants under the age of 1 year, they provide the best protection until the infant is both one year of age and weighs at least 13 kg. At BMW, this is known as BMW Baby Seat 0+.
Child Safety Seat: Targeting toddlers aged 1-4 years, they secure your child and spread the crash forces over a wide area. This seat should last until either the child’s weight exceeds 18 kg or it grows too tall for the seat. At BMW, this is known as BMW Junior Seat I-II.
Booster Seat: Made for small children aged 4-6 years, it works by raising the child to the correct height for the car’s adult seat-belt to work properly. It has a seat back that can provide additional protection in the event of a side impact. The booster seat should be used until the child is approximately 145 cm tall. At BMW, this is known as BMW Junior Seat II-III.
Booster Cushion: The final option before your child transitions to the three-point lap and diagonal seat-belt featured in your car and is designed for children aged 6-11 years that weigh from 22 to 36 kg. Some manufacturers are now producing backs that cover the full 15 to 36 kg range.  ‘Stay Alert. Stay Alive’ is all we are asking of you.
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