Child safety in cars

Sir,

I am from Paphos and what I see on a daily basis is the appalling behavior of drivers. Apart from speeding, overtaking on a busy road and, of course, never indicating, the most serious and dangerous ‘habit’ is this: parents of young children and infants, almost always drive with their children sitting on the seat in front, next to the driver.

I’ve seen children standing on the seat, obviously without a seatbelt, their face against the windscreen, jumping up and down. I’ve seen mothers or fathers, holding their babies in their arms, without a seatbelt, maybe thinking that their embrace will save their baby on impact.

I see this happen every single day, regardless of the parents’ origin, social or economic background.

What I don’t see is the proper handling of such a reckless and ignorant phenomenon by the police. Even though parents should know better and take their children’s safety a little more seriously.

NA, Paphos

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