Page 3806 - Week 13 - Thursday, 18 October 1990
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indictment and a waste of young lives, which I am sure could be saved, and the productivity of our nation improved, if people took the opportunity of wearing the restraints that are provided. I fully endorse any proposal to mount a campaign to encourage people to wear seat belts and, if necessary, remind them by hitting the hip pocket nerve if they do not, in fact, comply with that legislation.
This Bill ensures that parents or carers are required by law to behave in a responsible manner towards young children's safety in vehicles by providing adequate restraints. In addition, the Bill could provide significant cost savings to the community through fewer road deaths and injuries of young children from road crashes. The estimated cost to the community for each road death is $560,000. In 1989, 32 people died on the ACT roads, representing a cost of nearly $18m in deaths.
I note with interest that, certainly at this point in time in the ACT's history, the number of road accidents has, in fact, reduced quite considerably. I am sure that the implementation of this legislation will ensure a number of accidents, in fact, do not result in tragic circumstances.
Once again, the cost of a baby capsule or other restraint is negligible when measured against the suffering or pain caused to the community by death and serious injury as a result of road crashes. Legislation such as this, to require better protection of young children, is an important step towards reducing the trauma. However, let me emphasise once again that child restraints and seat belts can be effective in saving human lives only if they are being used. An unused seat belt cannot offer any protection and parents have a responsibility to ensure that their children are adequately protected. My young lad had an experience recently where he fully realised the need for a seat belt. In fact, the lesson that was taught to him on that occasion, and to the person in the other vehicle that was involved in the accident, made them clearly realise the importance of seat belts because, I would suggest, it saved both of them from very serious injury.
I commend the introduction of this Bill, and by doing so I believe that the Government has taken an important step towards providing a safer environment for our youngest road users.
MR HUMPHRIES (Minister for Health, Education and the Arts) (11.57): Mr Speaker, I have been stirred in this debate by the rhetoric of those opposite, and I feel that I should comment on some of the issues.
Mrs Grassby: You are joking. Another one. Stirred, my foot! Another speech handed out. You do not even have any children.
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