Society is currently debating and even strongly opposing mandatory child safety seats in cars. Yet, there is a calm acceptance of children riding on motorcycles, a mode of transport with a risk and injury potential tens, even hundreds of times higher than cars.

In reality, even without a child safety seat, a car offers protection through its frame, airbags, and seatbelts. A child in a car, secured by a seatbelt, is significantly safer than one riding on a motorcycle, which provides no protective layers. A sudden brake at 30 km/h can easily eject a child from a motorcycle, whereas in a car, such an incident would likely cause no significant injury. Despite this, society focuses on child car seats, implying cars are the primary danger, instead of implementing stricter regulations for motorcycles.

Moreover, motorcycle riders must use their entire body to maintain balance. This significantly increases risk when carrying children, especially young ones who cannot balance themselves. Tragic accidents often result from items like raincoats or backpacks, or children's limbs, becoming entangled in the wheels.

The widespread use of motorcycles and the long-standing practice of children riding on them have led to tacit acceptance. Familiarity often breeds complacency, while novelty sparks opposition. If child safety is a genuine concern, the focus should shift. Why not prioritize banning children from riding on motorcycles before debating the mandatory use of child safety seats in cars? An unprotected child on a motorcycle faces a significantly higher risk of fatality than a child riding without a dedicated seat in a car. This familiar danger is, however, often overlooked.

Prioritizing child safety is an immediate necessity, starting where the danger is greatest. Genuine concern for young lives demands a frank acknowledgment: motorcycles represent the highest risk, and children riding them are the group most urgently needing protection.

I personally advocate for dedicated child safety seats in cars and for the public to support gradual improvements in traffic safety, aligning with practices in advanced countries, for the well-being of families. While dedicated child safety seats are crucial, a correct understanding of the issue reveals that protecting children must begin at the point of highest risk, not where safety is already relatively established.

Reader Nguyen Ngoc