A six-year-old child died in a car accident due to a suspected injury from the vehicle’s airbags. The incident occurred in Navi Mumbai’s Vashi region.
The deceased, Harsh Arethia, and three of his cousins, who are also minors, were on their way to get pani puri with his father, Mavji Arethia, driving them. As they approached the Blue Diamond Hotel junction in Sector 28, an SUV driving from the opposite direction lost control and hit a divider.
The SUV rose 6-7 feet in the air before landing on the bonnet of Arethia’s car.
The impact caused the airbags to burst out, immediately knocking Harsh who was seated in the front seat. The child reportedly suffered no external injuries but is suspected to have died due to polytrauma shock.
The driver of the SUV has been identified as Dr Vinod Pachade, a resident of Ghansoli. He reportedly did not flee the site after the incident but went to the Vashi police station to have his statement recorded. Police have issued him a notice asking him to cooperate with the investigation. An FIR has been registered against him.
Airbags for adults, avoid children in front seat
Airbags are typically designed to protect adults. For children, airbags pose a risk due to the force at which they are deployed. The force from the airbag can even cause a child to be lifted from their seat and hit the top of the car causing head injuries.
According to healthline.com, it is unsafe for children under 13 years of age to travel in the front seat. Children who are small for their age should wait till they attain a height of 5 feet.
Children that are two years or younger should be seated in a rear-facing car seat while children between the ages of 2-8 can be seated in a forward-facing car seat.
After outgrowing a car seat, children should be seated on a booster seat till they attain the right height of 5 feet. This is required so that the seatbelt can protect the body effectively by going across the chest and lap.
