SEREMBAN: Car owners travelling with young children will only be compelled to have child seats in their vehicles by 2019 to give car makers enough time to install child-seat locks in new vehicles.
Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said car makers have already been told that they will have to start installing child-seat locks in their makes from this year.
"We have already told car makers that every vehicle manufactured or imported from this year must come with that gadget so owners will be able to buy child seats and secure it nicely in their vehicles," he said.
Liow was asked to respond to a statement by Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim on Tuesday that child car seats should be made compulsory before the proposed implementation in 2019.
Rohani said she would meet with representatives from Liow's ministry and relevant stakeholders on the matter, following the tragic death of a two-year-old boy who was killed in Ulu Tiram, Johor, on Saturday, when he fell out of his father's car and was run over by another vehicle.
On Wednesday morning, two brothers aged one and two were killed when they were thrown out of a car driven by their father in a three vehicle pile-up along Jalan Ipoh-Lumut.
Liow said parents and other car drivers should be vigilant when they have young children travelling with them.
"Lock the back doors and use the rear seat belts in your car when travelling.
"You should use these to ensure the safety of the people in your car at all times," he said.
Liow said it would also be difficult to make it mandatory for all car owners with young children to secure them in child seats as older models did not have child seat locks.
