Cluj-Napoca partners in development of unique child car seat app

It helps parents choose the right seat for their kid and ensure a safe journey

Emil Boc, the mayor of Cluj-Napoca, attended yesterday the launch of the Child Car Safety App – a new smartphone application, which lets parents choose the correct type of car seat for their young kids. The mayor’s presence was explained by the fact that City Hall was one of the partners in the development of what has been described as a first of its kind and “unique in Europe” application.

Informed consumerism can save lives

The app was developed by a non-profit called Copil lubit la bord (or Beloved Child on Board), which also counted on the collaboration of the Romanian Road Traffic Police and the Babes-Bolyai University’s Department of Public Health.

The development of the tool was necessitated by statistics, cited by the non-profit, which show that Romania ranks first in the number of deaths from car crashes.

In 2021, the road deaths rate was 93 per one million inhabitants, versus 44 deaths per one million inhabitants in the European Union. It is surprising to notice that, although 9 out of 10 Romanians admit that using the seat belt is important, only 25% of them fasten the seat belt when they travel.

Moreover, many parents are not very clear and informed about the proper usage of child car seats and the fact that choosing the correct one can make the difference between life and serious injury or death in the case of an accident.

The main objective of the application is to strengthen awareness efforts regarding the necessary car seats for children between the ages of 4 and 10. The Child Car Safety App offers the possibility to check the conformity of the seat, as well as to identify the type of seat suitable for the child, including the safety criteria for it.

The app is free and easy to use. All the prospective buyers have to do is scan the label of the seat in the store in order to find out whether it complies with official European standards. Likewise, they can also put their child’s stats, such as age, height and weight and the app will inform them of the type of seat that will be most suitable.