Police are praising the prompt actions of a member of Accident Compensation Corporation staff whose actions averted a potential tragedy at a joint child car restraint campaign checkpoint in Hamilton this afternoon.
Staff from both agencies were at a checkpoint in the Hamilton suburb of Chartwell shortly before 3am when ACC Injury Prevention Consultant, Lisa Taylor, noticed a newborn baby slumped over in it's car seat.
"The child was slumped over at the stomach and neck which has the potential to cause it to stop breathing, last year at a similar checkpoint Police had to do CPR on a baby found in a similar situation that had turned blue.
"In this case the mother had done nothing wrong, it sometimes just happens that wee ones slump over like this and it goes to show you have to be keeping a constant eye on them and ensure their airways are clear," she said.
While the team were relieved disaster was averted in this case they are dismayed at the number of tickets being issued to drivers with unrestrained children aged under five.
Sergeant Phil Ruddell of the Hamilton Strategic Traffic Unit said officers had issued 00 infringement notices related to unrestrained children over the past two days.
"At the same checkpoint where Lisa dealt with the 2-week-old baby we stopped a car that had four people crammed in the back seat, all incorrectly restrained.
"One was a pregnant woman, two were toddlers not wearing seatbelts and one was a baby being transported in an unsecured car seat, it's simply not good enough."
The objective of the combined campaign is to see Hamilton's child car seat compliance rate rise from the current 65 per cent to 75 per cent or more.
The two week checkpoint phase follows on from ACC visits to play centres and day care facilities that educated parents and caregivers on the importance of child car restraints.
'At the end of the day those people not properly securing children in their cars are taking an awfully large gamble," said Mr Ruddell.
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