A viral video that showed a father driving with his daughter seated in his lap has not gone down well on social media. The unidentified man, who was filmed in a car in Sikar, Rajasthan, has been criticised for endangering his child besides risking his own life, all for a reel.Ashwin Rajenesh, Chief of Emergency at NS Memorial Institute of Medical Sciences in Kollam, Kerala, called out the recklessness in a reshare on X.Explaining the potentially-deadly consequences, the physician wrote: “Looks adorable.But in the event of a frontal collision and subsequent airbag deployment, the infant's skull would be accelerated at ~320km/hr 6-8 inches into the man's thoracic cage, killing both instantly. Indian parents need a harsh reality check.”
Although the father, who drives a Swift Dzire, wore a seatbelt himself, the kid wasn’t. According to some observers, he also seemed distracted while the young girl sat in his lap.“I'm sure that this dad loves his daughter dearly, and I really wish to believe that this dangerous indulgence of child endangerment was a singular lapse of his better judgement. Hoping he & other parents can realise the potential dangers involved in such practices, and do better,” Rajenesh wrote.On the face of it, going at a moderate speed with your kid snuggled up in the driving seems benign. However, in the event of a sudden stop or accident, the child can be thrown from your lap with tremendous force, causing severe injuries or even death.Holding one's daughter while at the wheel can severely impair their ability to control the vehicle. A divided focus, delayed reaction time and manoeuvering becomes more difficult. This not only puts your child at risk but also increases the chances of an accident.Local authorities are yet to acknowledge the footage or take action.