Plunket safety plan

Press, 22 October 1980, Page 6

Plunket safety plan

NZPA * Wellington The Plunket Society plans to Become a rental agent for child car-seat restraints. It hopes to reduce the ntunber of injuries to young children involved in car accidents, and seeks funds from various organisations to begin a pilot study early next year. The Plunket Society’s director of medical services, Dr David Geddis, ’ said

yesterday that it would approach parents in maternity hospitals and ask if they wanted to hire a child car restraint.

The society hoped to select an area, possibly in Dunedin, and flood it with offers of hiring car restraints for children.

Visiting parents in hospitals would make sure that about 99 per cent of those with new babies were given the chance to . take part in the scheme. “One of the best known ways of making people change their behaviour is to make it socially embarrassing .for them not to' change their behaviour," Dr Geddis ■said? ; i ‘ ■ ■ ’ ■»

Child restraints range in price : am $6O to more than $lOO. The society hopes, to buy about 500 to 2000 car restraints, depending on the money available. It says it has negotiated a “rock bottom” price with the makers. More than $30,000 has already been raised. Dr Geddis said the scheme would be carefully monitored. If successful, the society hoped to implement it nationally. ' A Ministry of Transport research officer. Dr lan Appleton, said children over the age of eight legally had to wear seat belts —• bitt there was no requirement for younger ones.