Baby Rescued By Locals After Maruti Baleno Crashes Into A Bus [Video]
Timely response and rescue operations from the onlookers helped save the life of a child after a Maruti Baleno crashed into the back of a bus in Kerala. The incident, which was caught on a CCTV camera fitted on the bus, is now creating a buzz among netizens about the importance of timely rescue operations in minimising the impact of road accidents.
Maruti Baleno Crashes Into Bus: Baby Rescued
In the video, we see a speeding Maruti Baleno, approaching the bus. As the bus stops, the car driver slams his brakes hard. As it was carrying a decent speed, the Baleno fails to stop in time and crashes into the rear of the bus. The bonnet and front fascia take severe damage from the impact.
Soon we see a person approaching the car for rescue. Looks like he was around when the mishap occurred. He breaks open the front passenger side door and reaches inside. He soon finds a baby in the rear seat. The guy picks up the newborn carefully and moves it to safety. We can see how gentle he is with the baby, likely a deliberate attempt to avoid giving it any more shock or trauma. This act should be appreciated.
By now, the driver seems to have got out of the car unhurt and is seen checking on other passengers. They are soon joined by other people from around. Even the staff of the bus can be seen taking part in the rescue. The conductor is seen trying to reach someone on phone- possibly the cops or ambulance services.
It has been extremely difficult to gather details of this incident and its aftermath. The comments, however, say that all occupants of the car could be saved, and the baby in particular, is in good health. This incident indeed is a strong reminder that presence of mind and helpful hands can turn a potential tragedy into a story of survival. Moreover, it highlights the importance of adopting proper safety measures while travelling with infants and toddlers.
Ensuring Baby Safety On Roads: How To Do It Right?
In this case, we see that both the airbags were deployed during the crash. In the video, we see the guy taking the baby from the rear seat. However, some comments say that the baby was in the back seat initially. The crash and its impact reportedly made it 'bounce and land on the front seat'. There is, however, no clear, conclusive word on this yet.
Clearly, there was no use of child seats in this case. Airbags can be particularly dangerous for child passengers. If the baby is seated in the front seat at the time of the crash, the airbag could deploy and suffocate the child to death.
In the ideal case, child seats and restaurants should be used in the rear seats. The only exceptions would be cases where the vehicle allows you to turn the front passenger airbags off.
According to Indian laws, toddlers and kids sitting on the laps of parents, in the co-driver's seat itself is an offence. It violates the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019. Further, section 125 A of the Central Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Rules 2020 mandates the use of a proper Child Restraint system.
Many might not know this- according to Indian laws, a kid must be at least 12 years old and have a height of at least 135 cm, to be legally eligible to sit in the front seat. Non-compliance to this can even attract fines of up to Rs 1,000.