In light of disturbing reports on the rising number of children killed in road crashes, the Traffic Police is considering making use of booster seats for children mandatory.
Traffic Police Chief General Taqi Mehri says, "Using booster seats for kids is highly recommended until fundamental changes are introduced in automotive safety rules,” news website Asr-e Khodro Reported.
He said, “To increase child safety car seat makers should adjust their products equipping vehicles with special seats for children,” adding that application of booster seats will become mandatory.
Mehri emphasized the need for stronger measures to help reduce car accidents, calling on local carmakers to take the safety standards more seriously.
The officer called on the people to participate in campaigns aimed at raising awareness about traffic safety. “Such public campaigns that stress adherence to traffic rules have helped in producing the desired results in improving the culture of driving.”
> Rising Death Toll
Data released by the Iranian Legal Medicine Organization (the coroner’s office), shows that road accidents in the past calendar year that ended in March cut short the lives of over 16,000 people, 4.5% were kids under 10.
Mehri says “The figures show that 44 people lose their lives in road mishaps on a daily basis. It is more regrettable that two of the fatalities are kids less than 10 years old.”
Another report by the organizations showed road accident deaths in the first five months of the current year rose 1.7% compared to the corresponding period last year. During the period 7,062 people were killed in car crashes.
According to the Traffic Police, sleep-deprivation (fatigue), speeding, overtaking from the wrong side, running a red light, talking on the cell phone, text messaging and munching behind the wheel are the most serious driving violations leading to fatal crashes.
Additionally, poor quality of roads and locally made vehicles have been repeatedly described as the main reasons for the unacceptably high death toll.
A spokesman for the Majlis Development Commission, Sodeif Badri, earlier blamed the high rate of road accidents on the shrinking budget allocated to road maintenance.
He said one of the main reasons behind the accidents is the deteriorating state of roads which he contributes to “the declining budget allocated to the Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization (RMTO), an executive arm of the Ministry of Roads.”
The MP noted that over the past couple of years, the Plan and Budget Organization has cut RMTO’s budget by up to 40%.
“The Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization has identified accident-prone spots on the roads and announced the funds needed to improve their safety. But the PBO has failed to provide the funds,” the ministry website quoted Badri as saying.
