Passenger, bicycle, pedestrian and firearm safety — formative SAQs

SAQ 1 (10 marks)

Parents of a healthy 6-year-old say their child “outgrew the car seat” at age 4 and now uses only the adult seat belt in the front seat. They also report the child cycles to a friend’s house without a helmet. ^[1]

1. Correct the passenger arrangement with a staged best-practice plan and the rationale for a booster. (5) ^{[1] [3]}
2. Give helmet counselling with one evidence-based rationale. (3) ^[6]
3. State one teach-back question you will use before they leave. (2) ^[1]

Model answer

Move the child to a belt-positioning booster in the rear seat until the adult lap–shoulder belt fits correctly (lap belt low on hips/upper thighs, shoulder belt mid-chest/mid-shoulder, knees bent at seat edge). Prefer the rear seat through childhood under common best-practice guidance (under 13 years). Early graduation to an adult belt alone increases injury risk because belt geometry is wrong for a smaller pelvis and torso; boosters reduce injury risk compared with seat belts alone in this age band. ^{[1] [3]}

Counsel helmet every ride, correctly fitted and replaced after significant impact. Helmet use is associated with substantially lower odds of head and serious head injury among injured cyclists. ^[6]

Teach-back example: “Show me where the lap belt should sit with the booster, and when will the helmet go on?” ^[1]