2-year-old dies after airbag deploys in car crash

A two-year-old girl who was traveling with her mother has tragically died in a devastating road accident in Kerala.

A two-year-old girl who was traveling with her mother has tragically died in a devastating road accident in Kerala. The incident occurred when their car collided with a tanker truck in the Kottakkal-Padaparambu area, leading to a heartbreaking series of events that raised significant concerns about the safety of children in vehicles.

Details of the incident

According to police reports, the accident occurred when the family’s car collided with the tanker and the airbags deployed unexpectedly. The young girl was sitting on her mother’s lap in the front seat at the time of the collision. The sudden deployment of the airbag exerted so much force that the child’s face was pushed into it, eventually causing him to suffocate.

“The car collided with a tanker truck and the airbag suddenly deployed under the force of the impact,” said a police spokesman. Tragically, the other four passengers in the vehicle, including the mother, only suffered minor injuries despite the harrowing circumstances.

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Ongoing investigation

Authorities are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash. This heartbreaking incident not only claimed the life of a young child, but also sparked new discussions about the safety of children in cars, particularly regarding the impact of airbag deployment when small children are present.

Growing concerns about road safety

This incident highlights a broader road safety issue in India. According to a recent report by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, road accidents in the country have increased by an alarming 12% in the past year. The report shows that an average of 19 Indians lose their lives in road accidents every hour, a statistic that highlights the urgent need for improved safety measures.

Just a day before this incident, another tragic accident occurred in Maihar district of Madhya Pradesh in which nine people were killed and 24 others injured after a bus collided with a Hyva truck on National Highway 30.

According to the ministry’s report, 53 traffic accidents occur every hour across the country, with a significant proportion of the victims being young adults. “Young adults in the 18 to 45 age group made up 66.5 percent of victims in 2022,” the report says, adding that those in the working age group of 18 to 60 made up a staggering 83.4 percent of the total Identify traffic fatalities.