Baby on Board: Your (child) safety matters

Isn’t it time for parents to become seriously conscious of child safety while traveling? Unfortunately, there are some people who still don’t buckle up on some journeys.

Baby on Board: Your (child) safety matters

Not only is it unsafe for the children not to travel in a car seat, but it is also against the law, as The Thai government announced that the use of car seats will be made mandatory from September 5, 2022.  The new law means that children under the age of six or more than 135 centimeters tall must be seated in a car seat or in a special seat for safety when in a moving vehicle[1]. This means families with young children now have to prepare properly for their next trip. While this law is new to Thailand, the "Car Seat" law has been widely enforced in many countries around the world, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, and even our neighboring countries like Malaysia and Singapore.


"In the last 14 years, 14,669 Thai children under the age of 15 have died in car accidents, an average of 104 per year," Assoc. Prof. Adisak Plitapolkarnpim, Director of the Child Safety Research Center, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, stated in 2014[2]. One of the leading causes of child fatality caused by car accidents result from children having a heavy head, a small body, weak cervical vertebrae, and large abdominal organs, so when an accident occurs the child moves like a badminton shuttlecock, 'thrusting hard' and easily being projected out of the car, causing the brain, stem, and spleen to rupture. The anchoring system in the car designed to prevent this type of outcome for adults does not perform in the same way for children.


Many parents believe that having their children sit on their laps is the best possible protection without realizing that their “warm embrace" can cause their beloved child to have a serious injury or death when accidents occur as it cannot protect the child from heavy impact. In the event of an accident, a child car seat is designed to minimize the centrifugal force on the brain and spinal areas. It is also designed to accommodate the body size and physique of children of various ages, the majority of whom are not tall enough to use the car’s safety belts. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, using a car seat reduces the risk of injury by 71-82 percent, and the risk of serious injury by 45 percent, when compared to using only seat belts[1]. This shows that investing in a car seat is a worthwhile child safety measure.


When traveling, safety is undeniably a top priority, so it goes without saying that parents should consider buying a vehicle with a high level of safety to give them maximum protection. This is true for all passengers as well as little ones. Using a vehicle equipped with a high-security system will help to reduce the rate of injury and death caused by accidents.

Volvo is behind some of the car industry’s most important safety inventions and innovations, and we are continuously improving our cars for your safety. In 1959, Volvo introduced “three-point safety belts”, and since then millions of lives have been saved as a result of Volvo Cars waiving its patent rights so everybody, no matter what car they were driving, could benefit.

In the car, parents want to give their children optimal protection. Despite this, children are still getting injured or even dying because of incorrectly fitted child seats, or because the type of child restraint used was wrong for the child’s age, height, and weight. For over 40 years, Volvo has been collecting and analyzing real-world data which is then used to develop safety innovations in cars to protect every precious passenger. In 1964, Volvo pioneered the rear-facing child seats to minimize injury, and the research showed that traveling ‘backward’ in a car is the safest way for children under the age of four to travel.


Then in 1978, Volvo introduced a world first - the first booster cushion for older children who had outgrown a rear-facing child seat. Volvo remains at the forefront of child safety and today, Volvo’s cars come equipped with built-in booster cushions with two sitting heights that can be adapted for growing children. This gives a better seating position and safety belt pre-tensioners and load-limiters can be adapted for children depending on their height.

Baby on Board: Your (child) safety matters

Volvo continues to push the boundaries of safety to achieve its vision of “no one should be seriously injured or killed in a new Volvo car”. As a result, every Volvo car integrates innovative systems such as driver assistance, which helps drivers avoid accidents as well as makes the ride more comfortable, and provides superior protection while on the road.

Volvo’s research goes one step further as recent results have shown that women are more likely to be injured in a car crash. Volvo takes the different anatomy of male and female bodies into consideration when designing safety features.

Volvo’s Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS) comes integrated into the Volvo seat combining a unique robust head restraint with a clever seat design to protect both head and spine. For optimal protection, Volvo has developed car structures, safety belts, and side airbags to minimize the impact on the passengers. A Volvo innovation, the SIPS (Side Impact Protection System), relies on an intelligent structure to boost overall safety when another vehicle collides with a Volvo car from the side. In fact, SIPS, together with the side-impact airbag, reduces severe chest injuries of all passengers by more than 50%. Volvo is committed to constantly improving vehicle safety systems. This ensures that cars are safe for everyone, of all genders and ages.

Many aspects must be taken into account when purchasing a car, including vehicle safety, affordability, how you will use it, and even family lifestyle. This ensures that it is a worthwhile investment that meets the greatest number of your, your family's, and your baby's needs.

For more information about Volvo products and the list of Volvo service centers, please contact the Customer Service Center at 02-161-4144 or you can view the latest company news at www.volvocars.com/th

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