LADA Institute Advocates for Stronger Child Restraint Laws
By: Solomon Nartey Tetteh
The LADA Institute is calling for urgent reforms to Ghana’s road traffic laws to reduce child injuries and fatalities in road crashes, emphasizing the need for mandatory child restraint systems and safer seating positions for children.
Data from the United States indicates that in 2022, 599 child occupants under age 13 died in traffic crashes; 189 of these children were unrestrained at the time of the crash. In Ghana, the principles of child passenger safety remain universally applicable. Ensuring that children are appropriately restrained according to their age and size is crucial in reducing the risk of injury or death in the event of a crash.
At a recent media workshop on road safety awareness, Project Coordinator at the LADA Institute, Shirley Haizel-Ferguson, stressed that while seating position plays a role in protecting child passengers, proper restraint use is critical.
“Children are significantly safer riding in the back seat than in the front but only when properly restrained. There is a 25% lower risk of injury for a child sitting in the back without a restraint compared to one sitting in the front seat,” she said.
Madam Haizel-Ferguson outlined three main risks for children seated in the front: exposure to high-impact forces in collisions, the risk of ejection, and the dangers posed by airbag deployment.
“Airbags are designed to protect adults. Their deployment can be harmful to smaller children whose bodies cannot absorb the force,” she explained.
According to madam Haizel-Ferguson, while seatbelts can reduce the risk of death by 40% for children aged 1 to 6, properly fitted child restraint systems (CRS) offer even greater protection cutting the risk of death by 60% and the risk of serious injury by 80%.
She emphasized that child restraint systems should be selected based on a child’s age, weight, height, and the manufacturer’s specifications not just age alone.
In light of these findings, the LADA Institute is advocating for a change in Ghana’s legal framework. The organization is calling for the minimum legal age for front-seat passengers to be raised from 5 to 12 years, and for laws to mandate the use of appropriate child restraint systems in all vehicles.
“Current regulations are outdated and do not reflect global best practices in child passenger safety. We need legal reforms that align with international standards and protect our children more effectively,” madam Shirley stated.
The LADA Institute is a Ghanaian non-profit organization committed to advancing development through legal and policy reforms. As part of the LADA Group, its focus areas include legal education, human rights advocacy, institutional capacity building, and policy analysis. One of its flagship initiatives is the Road Safety Legislative Strengthening Project, which aims to enhance child safety in vehicles through stronger laws and better enforcement. The Institute also believes that public education, enforcement, and behavioral change are crucial in achieving meaningful improvements in child road safety.
