As a driver in Singapore, I am confronted regularly by the sight of a young child travelling in the back seat of a vehicle without a seat belt or harness of any form, while the parents are correctly buckled up in the front seats.

What can these parents be possibly thinking? That their child is safer in the back seat of a vehicle? Surely not. Countless tests have proven that a car travelling at as little as 30kmh, that is involved in a collision, can cause an unrestrained rear seat passenger - adult or child - to be flung forward between the two front seats and through the front windshield, usually crushing the victim's skull in the process.

Minor collisions between vehicles that involve unrestrained passengers frequently transform the minor 'fender bender' into a fatal accident. This is a fact. So, why does an otherwise highly educated society, that recognises the threat that smoking poses to adults and children alike, and acts aggressively to curb driving under the influence of alcohol, do next to nothing to enforce a seat-belt culture?

Why does the Traffic Police take every opportunity to reinforce their message that speeding kills, but does little to enforce seat-belt laws or educate road users of the dangers of travelling without seat belts?

Could it be that it is economically expedient? Could it be that enforcing seat-belt laws would pose a dilemma when dealing with workers who travel unrestrained in the backs of trucks? Buckle up, Singapore.

Goetz Eggelhoefer