NASSAU, BAHAMAS – There are some things in life that should never be up for discussion, and the safety of
our children is one of them.
I am increasingly troubled by what I see on our roads: children standing in moving vehicles, sitting unrestrained in the front seat, moving freely around in the back, sticking their heads out of windows and, perhaps most disturbingly, sitting on a parent’s lap or being held in a parent’s arms while the vehicle is moving, or worse the parent is driving. We must stop accepting this as normal.
Under The Bahamas’ Road Traffic Act, drivers and passengers are required to wear seatbelts, and drivers have a specific obligation to ensure that children are properly restrained according to the requirements of the law. This is not simply a matter of preference or parenting style. It is the law, and it exists to protect lives.
Over the years, there have been tragic incidents involving children on our streets, including cases where drivers have faced the courts. Yet we continue to see youngsters placed in danger. We must ask ourselves whether we are truly learning the lessons
these tragedies are teaching us.
This is not an exercise in blaming parents who are struggling financially. I understand that some families genuinely cannot afford a car seat, but economic hardship cannot mean a child has to go unprotected, and this is where we need to think creatively as a
community.
Our civic organisations, like Rotary, Kiwanis, Zonta, along with churches, businesses and others, could explore ways to help families access quality child-safety equipment. There may be an opportunity to create programmes where families who have gently-used, high-quality car seats and other baby items that their children have outgrown can donate them, with the appropriate safety checks, cleaning and packaging, so they can be placed in the hands of families who need them. There may also be opportunities for bulk purchasing, sponsorships and other partnerships to make approved car seats more affordable and accessible.
The point is not to tell struggling parents to simply find the money. It is to recognise that when there is a genuine need, we should be willing to find practical ways to help as we continue to build a Bahamas for all Bahamians.
However, compassion does not supersede accountability.
As parents, we are duty bound to protect the children entrusted to us. That means following the law and making responsible choices, even when it is inconvenient. Driving “only around the corner” is not a reason to leave a child unrestrained. Neither is being in a hurry, having a child who dislikes the car seat or having done things that way for years.
This conversation should not stop with children. Too many adults drive without wearing seatbelts or allow their passengers to ride unrestrained. Motorists speed, use phones and take unnecessary risks, sometimes with precious lives onboard, and pedestrians
around. Road safety must become part of our culture, not something we remember only after a serious accident.
A child’s body is small and vulnerable. Even a collision that appears minor can cause devastating injury to a child who is not properly restrained. We should never have to learn that lesson through another family’s heartbreak.
We need enforcement and education, along with practical support for families who genuinely need it, but above all, we have to take personal responsibility.
If you are driving, buckle up. Make sure your passengers do the same. If you have children in your vehicle, make sure they are properly restrained before you move. Slowdown. Put the phone away. Do not take risks on the road.
Our children do not get to choose how we drive. They trust us to get them home safely.
We owe them that protection. It is our job as parents, and quite simply, it is the law.
For the children, for the future,
– Maxine V. Seymour
