Every time we step out, we take for granted that we’ll return home safely. But for many families, that simple expectation ends in heartbreak. In 2023, across India, 1,72,890 people lost their lives in road crashes. In Tamil Nadu, the number stood at 18,347. This translates to around 50 people dying a day on our roads. Among them, a significant number were children below 18 years of age, with 620 young lives lost in Tamil Nadu alone. This means there’s a high probability of dying in a road crash, a scary thought, isn’t it?
Do we really see the risk?
In spite of these alarming numbers, do we truly perceive our daily travel as risky? Most of us don’t. We rarely pause to recognise the seriousness of the issue or to grasp the real probability of being involved in a road crash, not necessarily fatal, but possibly leading to life-changing injuries. Until it affects someone close to us, road safety often remains an abstract concern rather than a personal priority.
While even adults are at great risk as road users, the risks are amplified many times when it is a child. It is no surprise then that the toll on vulnerable road users like children, on Indian roads, is significantly higher. A child's body is still developing and is prone to more serious risks in the event of a road crash. Their ability to judge risks and to respond in extreme situations is slower than an adult and therefore they face far more risks than adults do on the roads. Add to that parental ignorance and apathy - in a study by CAG on child helmet usage in Chennai, around 88% of the total parents surveyed expressed the belief that children of all ages must wear helmets. However, around 73% of them admitted to not using helmets for their own children.
The role of safety devices
This apathy is even more pronounced when a child is travelling in a car. Many parents assume that once their child is inside a car, they’re automatically safe. It’s true that cars offer some protection by acting as a shield from external impact but that alone is not enough. This is where safety devices come in. Without such safety measures, even a short car journey can turn dangerous. That’s exactly why seatbelts were invented, to keep people securely in place during sudden stops or crashes and prevent them from being thrown around inside the vehicle.
Seatbelts are not enough for children
Now, ask yourself, what do you think keeps your child safe inside a car during a road crash? If your answer is ‘seatbelt’, think again! In fact, the very seatbelts you trust to protect your child can sometimes do more harm than good.
Seatbelts are designed to protect by keeping occupants in place, spreading crash forces over stronger parts of the body, reducing impact with the car interior, and preventing injury to others. A belted passenger stays in their seat and slows down at roughly the same rate as the car, which greatly reduces the force their body experiences.
But here’s the catch: seatbelts are designed for adults, not children. A child’s body is smaller and still developing. A child’s pelvis and rib cage cover less of their abdomen than an adult’s, and their ribs are more flexible, so instead of breaking, they tend to bend. This means that in a crash, more of the collision’s energy can be transferred to their heart and lungs. Simply put, a regular seatbelt doesn’t fit a child’s body properly and cannot protect them as it does an adult.
This is exactly where Child Restraint Systems (CRS) come in. In 2019, the government of India passed the Motor Vehicles Amendment Act, in which Section 194B says that every child under 14 must be secured in a car, either with a seatbelt or a child restraint system (CRS). Since we have established that seatbelts alone are not sufficient and don’t keep children safe in cars, the law itself is lacking, as it mentions either a seatbelt or a CRS, without making the use of child restraint systems mandatory for children. Additionally, enforcement of this already equivocal rule remains weak. While the Act does specify a penalty of ₹1,000 for failing to secure a child properly in a car, the reality is that very few drivers are actually fined for it. Awareness among both parents and even some traffic officials is still quite low, and roadside checks rarely focus on whether children are using proper restraint systems.
In countries like Australia, the use of Child Restraint Systems (CRS) is strictly enforced, and in Australia children are not allowed to sit in the front seat until they reach a certain age or height. In Vietnam, recent changes in law require children under 10 years of age to sit in the back seat of vehicles. They also require children to be secured in an approved child restraint system if they are under 10 years and 135cm tall. This will be implemented starting January 1, 2026. While India’s Section 194B under the Motor Vehicles Amendment Act is a welcome step, effective enforcement, clear front-seat restrictions, clear CRS guidelines and ensuring affordable CRS availability are crucial to truly protect children on our roads.
Infants and children need a seat that matches their size and weight and grows with them through different stages of development. A good CRS keeps a child securely restrained, spreads crash forces over the strongest parts of the body, and protects soft tissues from injury. Child restraints don’t just help during crashes, they also reduce injuries during sudden stops, sharp turns, or even if a door swings open while the vehicle is moving. In short, a CRS is designed specifically to keep your child safe, where a regular adult seatbelt simply can’t.
So, how do you pick the right CRS for your child?
First, CRS come in different sizes depending on your child’s age, height, and weight. There are options for infants, toddlers, and older kids, which can feel overwhelming at first. The most important thing to check is that your child’s head doesn’t stick out above the back of the seat. Young children, especially babies, don’t have strong neck muscles, so a properly fitted CRS gives the support they need. Also, make sure your child’s weight matches the seat’s specifications.
Next, look for the ISOFIX system in your car. ISOFIX is an international standard for attaching CRS securely to car seats. It’s much safer than just using seatbelts to affix the system to your car, and also makes installation quick and simple, while holding the CRS firmly in place. By choosing the right CRS and installing it properly, you’re giving your child the best protection every time they ride in the car.
Market scenario in Chennai
To understand the current market scenario for Child Restraint Systems (CRS) in Chennai, we visited three stores across different parts of the city. All three outlets stocked child restraint systems from popular brands such as R for Rabbit, LuvLap, and Joie. Prices ranged between ₹3,000 and ₹7,500, while premium international models at FirstCry were available for up to ₹20,000.
According to store representatives, CRS units are easily available, but sales remain sluggish. They said while there is some awareness, actual consumer adoption is low. Most models available are certified under AIS-072, which is the Automotive Industry Standard that specifies the safety performance requirements, testing methods, and installation guidelines for child restraint systems in vehicles. This certification ensures that the seats meet the minimum crash safety and design standards prescribed by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI).
Products are typically categorised by the child’s weight range (in kilograms) rather than by age, which may make it challenging for first-time buyers to choose the right model without proper guidance. Staff also observed that, although awareness and curiosity are gradually increasing, walk-in demand remains limited, with many parents continuing to prioritise features such as padded seats, decorative add-ons or matching accessories over safety equipment like child restraint systems.
Conclusion
While it may be impossible to eliminate every risk, we can take meaningful steps to minimise it. Safety devices are not just legal requirements, they are lifesaving tools. A properly chosen and correctly installed CRS ensures that a child is not only restrained during a crash but also shielded from forces that could cause serious injury. By following the law, using certified products, and ensuring correct installation, parents and guardians can significantly reduce the likelihood of harm to their children during travel.
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