Kidsafe Victoria today called for the immediate loss of licence for any person driving a vehicle where a child was not restrained following two recent incidents where small children have received shocking injuries and an overnight police report of several unrestrained children in a car.

Aleks Natora, State Manager Kidsafe Victoria, said, babies and small children often become the victims of dangerous driving or lack of restraint in vehicles ending up dead or seriously injured for the rest of their life.

Kidsafe is also concerned that people have appropriate child restraints fitted in their car properly.

*1. Each year in Victoria, children travelling in cars are needlessly killed or injured because they are unrestrained or not restrained correctly.

2. RACV research shows that about 70% of child restraints are not installed correctly. A child restraint that has not been fitted properly can result in serious injury or even the death of a child in a crash.

3. Child restraints need to be used when travelling at low speed or short distances because most crashes happen within 10 km of home.

4. Even if your child is in the back seat, they are not safe unless they are restrained.
* Source VicRoads

Kidsafe's message to every driver is to slow down and recognize by just lowering your speed you will be increasing the safety of the baby or children you have in your car and possibly saving them from death or serious injury.

“With the holiday season coming up and people travelling in family groups long distances, we are asking all drivers to think about their children and drive responsibly at lower speeds.”