BMW Malaysia and Safe ‘n Sound Provide 90 Child Car Seats for Low Income Families

Just recently, 90 families were the fortunate recipients of child car seats made possible by BMW.

BMW Group Financial Services Malaysia CEO, Matthias Schlesiger, said, “We are pleased to have been able to support the NEXTStep Subsidy Programme with the funds we raised last year through one of our fundraising initiatives.

For every signed contract of a BMW or MINI electrified vehicle (EV), RM100 was contributed to the fundraiser and ultimately channelled to a cause that BMW holds close to their heart.

The NEXTStep Subsidy Programme by BMW Group Malaysia and Safe ‘n Sound is part of the BMW Safety 360° initiative. What is the 360° initiative, you may ask? It is BMW’s advocacy for children to be safe in vehicles on Malaysian roads.

BMW Group Malaysia Managing Director, Hans de Visser, said, “The overwhelming response we have received for this subsidy programme highlights the crucial need for us to make child car seats more accessible to the public, especially to lower income families.”

“We hope to continue advocating for the uptake of child car seats amongst families in Malaysia, while also raising awareness and encouraging more parents to act independently in ensuring the highest level of safety for their children while on the road,” he added.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), if child car safety restraints are installed correctly (yes, there are many who latch it on haphazardly) it reduces death:

– among infants by approximately 70%
– among small children by between 54% and 80%

These are exceptional numbers and for a family in the B40 group (ie. low income), this initiative is a blessing from BMW Malaysia and Safe ‘n Sound. There were 900 registrations this time around and 25,000 registrations since the initial programme began in 2019, which goes to show that there are many who still do not have this basic safety equipment.

The programme is open to expectant parents or families with children weighing up to 36kg and who has a monthly household income of RM3,500.

The child car seat models were :
– snskidz Ace (infant carrier)
– snskidz sport (convertible seat)
– snskidz Whizz (ISOFIX seat)
– snskidz Proto (combination booster seat)
– Mifold (booster seat)
These seats would normally retail at RM199, RM279, RM499, RM399, and RM199 respectively.

SNS Products Sdn Bhd Managing Director, May Hwong, said, “It is required for every occupant in the vehicle to use a seat belt, but we must remember that it is important that children below 12 years old use a suitable car seat as they may not be tall enough for a seat belt.

Their safety should be every parents’ highest priority and we hope this subsidy programme can make it easier for them to ensure that.”