Five dead children is definitely too many!

A round table entitled “1, 2, 3, buckle me up safely!” was held at the premises of URI Soča, organized by the Safe Road Institute in cooperation with Baby Center. The event was also supported with active participation by mag. Ivan Kapun, head of the Traffic Police Sector of the General Police Administration (GPU), mag. Saša Jevšnik Kafol, deputy director of the Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Traffic Safety (AVP), Robert Sabol, diploma rescuer, ITLS pediatric & adult instructor, Rescue Station UKC Ljubljana, Selma Busovača, representative of Cybex and Branko Marinič, representative of Baby Center.

According to a study by the European Road Safety Organization, Slovenia has been among the top six countries in the European Union in terms of child safety for the past 10 years. “This can be a great recognition for kindergarten teachers, teachers, parents, numerous activities in state organizations and the non-governmental sector. Above all, it is a great recognition for the legislation that has paid a lot of attention to the area of child safety,” described the situation in Slovenia by Mr. Robert Štaba. The Safe Road Institute has already included more than 200,000 children in preventive and educational programs. “I like to avoid statistics myself, because a number does not mean much. It is only when we turn a number into a name and surname and remember that this is one of us that even the number one can be very big,” said Mr. Štaba, looking at the statistical data.

Five dead children is definitely too many!

Despite the fact that Slovenia is at the top of European countries in the consistent use of child car seats and we have achieved a high level of attachment through various initiatives, we are not yet where we would like to be. In the last six years, five children have lost their lives on our roads, and 28 have been seriously injured. These are not just numbers on paper, these are children with names, children who meant the world to someone. "We have often faced the consequences of an accident where a child suffered serious injuries due to not using a car seat. Of the more than 30,000 interventions in which I have participated, I have successfully erased most of them – those where children were involved remain. So every time I drive past one of the accident sites, I relive the intervention," said Robert Sabol, B.Sc. zn. a rescuer who represented the UKC Ljubljana Rescue Station at the round table and also takes care of the training of firefighters and police officers who participate in rescues.

Vision ZERO as a commitment to complete safety on the roads

The event highlighted Vision ZERO, an ambitious international initiative to which Slovenia is also a signatory, which requires us to halve the number of deaths and serious injuries by 2030, and by 2050, the goal is that no more lives will be lost on the roads.

Zavod Varna pot, which is also one of the leading promoters of this vision in Slovenia, draws attention to the necessity of correct use of child car seats and the importance of responsible behavior in traffic with various preventive and educational programs. The ZERO vision is based on the belief that no death or serious injury on the roads is acceptable. By combining advanced technology and efforts to increase public awareness, this vision is moving step by step closer to reality.

"According to the checks carried out on the use of seat belts, the number of seat belts in Slovenia is as high as 95%. This year we have also added checks on the use of child seats and here too the results are good at first glance, as 91 % use them. Those who did not use seats and belts drove for a distance of up to 5 kilometers - but let me point out that most accidents happen near home, where children suffer the worst consequences. A short distance is in no way an excuse for not using safety systems," explained Saša Jevšnik Kafol, mag., deputy director of the Slovenian Traffic Safety Agency. The Pasavček project has also been operating within the Agency for 20 years. – The order is to always wear a seat belt, where they point out the importance of the appropriate use of child safety seats and the correct use of seat belts.

In addition to the use of seat belts in cars, police officers also check the use of child car seats and the fastening of children in them during routine checks. Mag. Ivan Kapun, head of the Traffic Police Sector of the General Police Administration (GPU), sees the use of seat belts and other restraint systems as one of the most effective and simple ways to ensure our safety. Parents would do everything for their children, but Police data shows that we still have a lot of room for more responsible behavior here. “We issue between 30,000-40,000 measures per year for failure to use seat belts, and as many as 4,000 of them were issued for failure to use restraint systems, which also include child car seats. This shows us that we still have a lot of work to do in raising awareness,” says Mag. Kapun.

And this is where parents and grandparents come to the fore, who, by example, consistent and, above all, correct use of an appropriate child car seat, raise a new generation of drivers - those who will be able to actively live Vision ZERO.

All experts agreed that the correct and consistent use of child car seats is the key to preventing injuries to children in the event of traffic accidents.

Cybex Anoris T2 i-Size is an innovation that saves lives

Cybex Anoris T2 i-Size is the first car seat in the world that includes a built-in airbag specially designed to protect children. The airbag, installed in the front part of the safety shield, deploys in a fraction of a second in the event of a collision and creates a protective layer around the child's head, neck and upper body, which significantly reduces the possibility of injury. ADAC tests rated it as the safest seat on the market.

"The human body is anthropologically developed to "travel" at 6 km/h, which is as fast as walking. A child is not a reduced adult. The forces acting on a child are even greater, the body proportions are different, the skeleton is not yet fully formed, nor are the muscle tissues. Therefore, in a collision, the loads are even greater and the cervical spine is the one that suffers the most damage," explained rescuer Mr. Sabol.

The development of the innovation is the result of several years of research and more than 1500 performed tests, which showed that Anoris T2 i-Size offers up to 50 % more safety than conventional car seats. Adapted from the automotive industry, the airbag technology provides comprehensive protection for children from 76 to 125 cm tall (approximately 15 months to 7 years). By introducing this seat, Cybex allows parents to offer their children the highest possible level of safety while driving. Ms. Selma Busovača observes that the market is undoubtedly changing, parents are well informed and know what is available. "None of us would buy a car today without airbags, and why should we have lower safety standards for our own children?" the representative of Cybex pointed out. According to their research, the biggest mistake parents make is moving their children into a bigger seat too quickly. "We are all proud that our child is progressing quickly, he is ahead of the curve in development and he is tall, but let's not be too hasty. Seats can only provide the safety they promise if they are used correctly. The instructions about the height and weight of the child for whom a particular car seat is suitable are there for a purpose," Mrs. Busovača.

Baby Center representative, Mr. Marinič, said at the end: "At Baby Center, we have a guideline that we thoroughly research all products related to the safety of children and only cooperate with top providers such as Cybex. With this, we bear a great social responsibility. Connecting with institutions that take care of children's safety is important for us, because despite our various functions in the company, we are parents in the first stage, who can help realize the Vision of ZERO. Baby Center has the largest market share in the segment of children's car seats, which is why it is even more aware of its socially responsible note. By connecting institutions that proactively work in the field of increasing the safety of children in traffic and with a selected offer of verified quality, they want to co-create the Vision of ZERO. That's why they went one step further and donated an additional 10 workshops in kindergartens, intended for education for educators, students and parents, as well as the safest Cybex Anoris T2 child car seat to the Institute for a safe journey.

The event “1, 2, 3, buckle me up safely!” began as a round table of the Safe Road Institute and Baby Center, but it has already grown during the organization, which indicates the much-needed attention that needs to be paid to raising awareness among the general public. The beginning of the new school year is approaching, a time when children will once again be active participants in traffic – as pedestrians, cyclists or passengers in a car. As adults, we have the task of protecting them with the highest quality equipment, and above all, equipping ourselves with the knowledge and consistency in the use of safety devices. Technology and development are heading in the right direction, and it is up to us to use them to our advantage and the advantage of future generations.