The 3-day training on the correct use of child restraint systems (child seats) to traffic police officers was launched on August 17 at the Ernesto de los Campos Conference Room at the Municipality of Montevideo. Among the authorities who attended the event, there were, Montevideo´s Mayor, Daniel Martínez, the Traffic Department Director, Pablo Ferrer, and Fundación Gonzalo Rodríguez´s President, María Fernanda Rodríguez.

This training course represented a milestone at national level in the promotion of child road safety. More than 150 officers from Montevideo´s Municipality had the opportunity to ask questions and get answers from the Fundación´s technicians on the correct use of child restraint systems as defined in ongoing regulations.

It is through this type of activities that the Fundación Gonzalo Rodríguez and the Traffic Department at the Municipality aim to raise awareness among the population playing an educational role that results in an improvement of child transportation safety through a more effective enforcement.

Child restraint systems represent the appropriate protection for children when traveling in a car. Use of CRSs reduces injuries in 75% in the event of a crash, and prevents the child from being expelled from the vehicle, and from impacting other occupants and elements in the vehicle. Newborns until they reach 1.5m should travel in a CRS suitable for their weight and height protecting them during the different stages of growth.

At present Uruguay has regulations on Child Restraint Systems (CRS); the Fundación Gonzalo Rodríguez played a fundamental role in its promotion. The Fundación also contributed with technical support regarding specifications of the regulatory decree, for which United Nations recommendations are considered.