The SAS Survival Driver’s Handbook

Holding an infant in your arms. Even if you are wearing a seatbelt, in the event of a collision the force of the impact will probably cause the child to be torn from your arms and hurled at the windscreen.

Putting your seatbelt round a child being carried on your lap. In a collision, you will be thrown forward exerting some three and a half tons of force on that child’s body. If the child isn’t crushed to death outright, horrific injuries will be inflicted.

Leaving the baby in a carrycot on the back seat. Even if the carrycot is strapped in, it’s the cot which is restrained, not the baby. In a violent collision the baby could be thrown out.

Using an adult seatbelt to restrain the child. In a crash, a small child wearing an adult seatbelt will most likely ‘submarine’ out from under it. There’s also a risk that the belt will bear upon the child’s neck, damaging the thorax.

Using an adult seatbelt to restrain two children. The same dangers as above, multiplied by two.

Allowing the child to travel unrestrained: Even when an accident occurs at speeds as low as 12 mph children can suffer serious injury being thrown out of the car or through the windscreen.

Sitting on the floor of the luggage space of an estate car: Unless rear-facing seats with harnesses have been fitted in the luggage compartment, it is not safe for children to travel in this area.

If you are going to carry children in your car and you care about their safety, have a proper child restraint fitted for each child. Check before you buy that the restraint will fit both your child and your vehicle. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for installation and use in every detail. If in any doubt, consult your garage or dealer. Most child seats are designed to make use of an adult seatbelt to hold them in place, so it should be a straightforward process. Make sure that the car’s seat-belt buckle does not rest on the frame of the child restraint, and that the restraint is anchored securely.

The safest place for children is in the back seat, so if your car doesn’t have rear seat belts, buy a child seat which comes with it’s own fastening straps and, if necessary, get a mechanic to fit it for you.

Many parents prefer to have young babies in a rear-facing baby carrier fitted to the front passenger seat. This has the advantage that you can see the baby clearly, but in the event of a collision baby would be much safer in the back seat. To keep an eye on children in the back seat, fit a second rear-view mirror angled to give you a good view of them without losing sight of the road ahead.

If for any reason you have to transport your child in a car where no child restraint is available, it is better for them to wear an adult belt alone in the back seat than no restraint at all.

NEVER fit a rear-facing child restraint in a front passenger seat equipped with an airbag. In the event of an accident, the airbag inflates at up to 200 mph — and a rear-facing seat places the baby’s head where it receives almost the full force of the impact. In America, a year-old baby travelling in such a seat was decapitated in a low-speed collision — one of 31 airbag-related infant deaths in the USA to date.

TYPES OF CHILD RESTRAINT (#ulink_4034c3c8-42eb-51cd-ac10-7b91ba8f145c)

The choice of restraint is governed by the child’s size and weight rather than its age. Expensive as these restraints are, never buy a secondhand child restraint unless it comes with the manufacturer’s fitting instructions and you are 100 per cent certain that it has never been used in an accident. If any signs of wear and tear are visible, DON’T buy.

In summer, metal and plastic surfaces of child restraints left inside closed vehicles can get hot enough to cause burns. Check before placing your child in the seat that the buckle and other surfaces will not pose a danger.

Baby seat

For babies up to nine months old, weighing up to 10 kg, a rearward-facing baby seat is the safest type of restraint. These can be fitted in the front or (preferably) the rear seat of a car using an adult seatbelt. A built-in harness with a crotch strap holds the infant in place. A sleeping baby can be carried from car to house in the seat, making it very convenient to use.

It’s possible to buy a baby seat that will hold the infant in a rear-facing position until it’s old enough to sit up, then convert into a forward-facing child seat which can be used until the child reaches 18 kg (at around 4 years of age).

Child seat

For children weighing between 9 and 18 kg (approximately 6 months to 4 years of age) an upright child seat (forward- or rear-facing) secured by an adult safety belt or by its own straps. A built-in harness holds the child in place.

Booster seats and cushions

Bigger children (weighing between 15 and 36 kg) can use a booster seat to lift them so that the adult lap and diagonal belt fits properly. The diagonal section must rest midway between the neck and shoulder, the lap section must sit low on the pelvis — NOT across the stomach. Booster seats are not suitable for use with a lap belt.

AIR BAGS (#ulink_bb37de4e-ae16-5f2b-9c2a-e59ba253024d)

Airbags are designed to minimize the risk of facial and head injuries caused by crashing into the steering column or dashboard. In the event of a severe head-on collision, sensors trigger a small explosive charge and the airbag breaks through the cover. Within a fraction of a second the airbag will fully inflate to cushion the driver as he is thrown forward. Having absorbed the impact the bag deflates instantly.

You may hear a bang and see a puff of smoke when the charge detonates, but don’t be alarmed — there’s no risk of fire. The gas used to inflate airbags is non-poisonous.

Many new cars are fitted with a driver’s airbag as standard equipment, and some also offer front passenger airbags. In Europe, where seat belts are compulsory, the airbag is designed to supplement the protection given by the diagonal part of the seatbelt. In the USA, on the other hand, not all states have a mandatory seatbelt requirement and so American cars tend to be fitted with ‘full-size bags’ to compensate. But an airbag is no substitute for a seatbelt. For a start, an airbag is not designed to inflate and protect you when your vehicle is hit from the side or rear, or if it rolls over. So always belt up, even in a car equipped with airbags.

STEERING WHEELS AND COLUMNS (#ulink_274c6853-2b63-55fb-9321-e337127e5eb6)

In a frontal collision, where no airbag is fitted, there is a risk that the driver’s head will hit the steering wheel. A well-padded steering wheel will absorb the impact and do less damage than one which is hard and metallic. Raised switches or bolts in the wheel centre can cause nasty cuts and eye injuries. Metal rims and spokes may look stylish — but your face won’t after it’s been in a collision with them. For the same reason, look for a car that offers some degree of padding in the door panels to cushion your body on impact. Make sure there are no exposed metal bolts and fittings to cause injury.

You are less likely to suffer steering wheel injuries if you position yourself correctly. Sit at arm’s length from the wheel rather than leaning over it with your arms bent.

HEAD RESTRAINTS (#ulink_a577e499-0964-5635-91c4-5621ef576919)

When your car is hit from behind (and rear-end collisions are one of the most common forms of accident) your body is thrown forward while your head and neck, if unsupported, are jerked violently back, resulting in ‘whiplash’ injuries. Although not life-threatening, whiplash can be very painful and its effects can last a long time.

AIRBAG HAZARDS (#ulink_4034c3c8-42eb-51cd-ac10-7b91ba8f145c)

NEVER fit a rear-facing child seat in the front seat of a car with a passenger-side airbag. (See Child Restraints, above.)

TAKE CARE! Airbags can cause injuries as well as prevent them. The speed and force of inflation, particularly of the American ‘full-size’ bags, means that drivers and front-seat passengers must exercise a degree of caution. In particular, you should NEVER smoke while sitting in a seat equipped with an airbag. Were the bag to inflate, your cigarette or pipe would be rammed into your face with tremendous force, inflicting facial burns and other injuries. Front-seat passengers should never sit with their feet on the dashboard, as this too can result in injury if the bag is deployed.

DANGER! Airbags contain an explosive charge which could cause injury if tampered with. In normal use, no maintenance is required. If the warning light on the dashboard illuminates, take the car to a garage or dealer. Never try to remove an airbag yourself.

Once an airbag has inflated in an accident it cannot be used a second time. Take the car to your garage or dealer and have the airbag replaced.

Head restraints are designed not to provide comfort but to prevent whiplash. They will also protect your head from being hit by back-seat passengers in a frontal collision.

To be effective, the head restraint must be strong, stable, and positioned correctly. One that is too low can do more harm than having no head restraint at all. Adjustable restraints are preferable to fixed ones, particularly for those who are above average height. If you share the driving with someone else, make sure you check the position of the head restraint every time you get in the car.

If a glance in the mirror tells you that you are about to be hit from behind:

• Remain facing forward. Resist the impulse to turn around because having your head and spine at an angle increases the risk of whiplash injuries.

• Press your back against the seat and your head against the restraint.

The padded section should be above the tops of your ears. The seat back should be upright to minimize the distance between your head and the restraint.

SIDE-IMPACT BARS (#ulink_00f43b05-b482-5cfa-9112-77c14f6d4457)

Side-impact bars are installed in the door panels of the vehicle to prevent the door being pushed into the passenger compartment in a side-on collision.

There’s some debate amongst safety experts as to how much protection these bars offer. If the oncoming vehicle strikes you only a glancing blow the damage may be minimized, but where it hits you full-on the chances of your escaping serious injury are slim. Even with bars fitted, the fact is that very little stands between your side and car that’s smashing into you.

BULL BARS (#ulink_befbfecf-2da2-5217-95ee-69b537468a09)

In Australia these rigid bars are known as ‘roo bars’, because they are fitted to vehicles in the outback to protect them in the event of collisions with kangaroos. Where pedestrians and cyclists are more likely collision partners than kangaroos, bull bars give cause for concern because they maximize the risk and extent of injury to vulnerable road users. Whereas a child has a good chance of surviving when hit by a normal car travelling at 20 mph, a vehicle with bull bars fitted can kill at 10 mph.

There is a campaign under way to outlaw bull bars in Britain and elsewhere. In the meantime, if your car has bull bars or if you insist on having some fitted, make sure you notify your insurer. To reflect the greater scale of damage and injury caused by bull bars, insurance companies may charge a higher premium. Failure to notify your insurer could result in your policy being invalidated.

LOAD RESTRAINTS (#ulink_1499026a-66e8-5ba4-a78c-4d77179026aa)

If you intend to use your car to transport heavy objects, tie-down eyes attached to the floor or side panels are essential. These small loops provide an anchor whereby heavy items can be secured to the chassis so that they won’t be hurled forward in a collision. It is not safe to carry loose heavy items in the back of an estate or hatchback with split or folding rear seats, as the structure is not strong enough to restrain the load in a crash. There have been cases of children carried in the rear seat being paralysed by support struts being driven into their spines by the force of the load shifting forward. If you don’t have tie-downs, use a load separator to prevent objects shifting forward. Alternatively, carry suitcases and other large items secured to a roof rack. (See Loading the Car and Towing in Long Journeys for further advice on carrying heavy loads, fitting roof racks, and towing trailers and caravans.)