BMW Malaysia, Safe ‘n Sound and Childline Foundation to subsidise 150 infant child car seats.

As part of the fifth edition of the BMW Safety 360° Programme, BMW Malaysia has partnered with Childline Foundation, a non-profit organisation focused on the awareness and education of child safety and protection – to introduce ‘From Day One’ campaign. This is aimed at advocating the importance of child car seats, especially for newborns. BMW Malaysia, Safe ‘n Sound and Childline Foundation to subsidise 150 infant child car seats as part of this campaign which is important as many Malaysians seem to take the child safety in passenger cars very lightly.

The latest round of the above mentioned safety campaign has started off with the support of Chicco Malaysia where the first six babies born on Father’s Day (Here in Malaysia was on the 16th of June)  at Hospital Putrajaya received a Chicco KeyFit 30 infant car seat. The new parents also learned about the best child safety practices from Childline Foundation’s passenger safety consultants. These include the right criteria for choosing a child car seat, proper methods for installation, as well as the lifecycle of a child car seat. These facts are important especially as Malaysia will be enforcing mandatory use of child safety seats in all passenger cars by 2020.

Harald Hoelzl, Managing Director of BMW Group Malaysia said, “As we near the enforcement of mandatory use of child car seats in 2020, we believe it is important to continue advocating the importance of child car seats, especially for newborns. The focus of ‘From Day One’ is to ensure parents know how to keep their children safe from the moment they leave the hospital. We want to make the use of child car seats instinctive; a basic practice when it comes to parenthood. This is why we are constantly partnering with experts from the industry to provide critical child safety education to parents and to make child car seats more accessible.”

In the next phase of ‘From Day One’, BMW Malaysia will continue on its partnership with Childline Foundation. They will introduce a child car seat subsidy programme together with Safe ‘n Sound, a distributor of child car seats and baby gear.  The subsidy programme will be introduced to five government hospitals across the Klang Valley as a first step. BMW Malaysia and Safe ‘n Sound will be subsidising 150 snskidz Ace infant carrier car seats at RM100 each. The  rear-facing infant carrier car seat, which retails at RM199, can be used from birth to 13kg and carries the ECE R44-04 certification. We hope those who are offered will take up this generous offer from the parties herein. 

Hoelzl added, “We will continue promoting the need for child car seats by offering subsidies alongside Safe ‘n Sound to help make child car seats more accessible. However, it is not enough that parents use child car seats. It is equally important that they understand the proper ways of choosing and installing the child car seats to ensure the utmost safety of their children. As such, we will also work with Childline Foundation to speak directly to hospitals to implement a child passenger safety training programme.

This seat subsidy programme will also be customised to parents who attend antenatal classes so that the education of child car seats begins even before the baby arrives.”The child passenger safety training programme will be introduced to the selected five government hospitals where  hospital  personnel  will  learn the best child safety practices from Childline Foundation’s passenger safety consultants.

Child passenger safety talks and consultations will also be offered to parents who attend antenatal classes at these hospitals. Datin Wong Poai Hong from the Childline Foundation said, “The best time and place for parents to start practicing the right child safety values is before childbirth and at the hospital. This is an important touchpoint for us –by educating hospital personnel, we are able to build a sustainable way to educate and ensure parents leave hospitals with the right child car seat.”

Sashi Ambi, Head of Corporate Communications, BMW Group Malaysia said, “As we continue to advocate child safety values with the BMW Safety 360° Programme, we would like to urge other partners to take part in this movement to make child car seats a norm –whether by raising greater awareness on the topic through education, making child car seats more accessible, or reaching out to Childline to be a part of the programme. We hope to see an increase in its usage as enforcement comes into effect. After all, the safety of our children on the road begins with the correct use of child car seats.”

This is indeed a noble cause by BMW Malaysia and the other partners to this safety programme. We have seen too many Malaysian parents carry their kids on their laps thinking that their arms are secure enough. Or that they just let their children run wild at the rear seats without even being buckled up. This isn't right and it is hoped that campaigns like these are carried out by other automotive companies. We do know that Malaysian compact car maker Perodua is also active in promoting child safety seats too and it is good that BMW Malaysia has been actively pushing this over the past five years - longer than even many other carmakers here.

 (From L to R) Handing over Chicco KeyFit 30 infant car seats to Hospital Putrajaya are:
Datin Wong, Honourary Project Director, Childline Foundation;
Sashi Ambi, Head of Corporate Communications, BMW Group Malaysia;
Puan Hajah Noorhayati binti Haji Amin, Deputy Director of Management, Hospital Putrajaya; and
Ong Cai Szu, Marketing Manager from Chicco Malaysia 

 (From L to R) Mothers who gave birth to the first six babies in Hospital Putrajaya on Father’s Day, receiving the infant car seats:

• Nur Adzimah binti Md Yasin;
• Siti Khadijah binti Mohd Ali;
• Yulliana binti Mohammad Taha;
• Kimi Kenanga binti Bahiki;
• Tham Wing Yeen; and
• Nik Azira binti Mohd Nor