'Headrest': Film on importance of safety tools in cars

New Delhi: Moved by stories of children dying in cars due to suffocation, filmmaker Sandeep Singh has made a public service film titled "Headrest", a guide on tackling emergency situations in a car.

Maximus Films, in association with Smile Foundation, will launch "Headrest" during Road Safety Week next month.

"Through 'Headrest', I want to create awareness around educating your kids on alternative to break open the glass in case of emergency," Singh told IANS via email.

It was around five years ago that Singh came across a newspaper article on three children dying after getting trapped in a car.

"They were little kids who didn't know how to come out and this car was at an isolated area. No one could hear their scream and they all suffocated to death. It shook me like hell," he recounted.

The result was that he kept safety tools in his own car and taught his young daughter how to use them. But what further ignited the spark to make "Headrest" was when he saw a social media post about how headrests are meant to break open the glass.

It's a myth, says Singh, Founder of Maximus Films.

"The myth that a headrest is an emergency tool to escape has to be eradicated as it is life threatening. These are simply head restraints which are used to rest your head.

"In Western countries, it is mandatory to have safety tools in cars, then why can't we have it," Singh questioned.

The film will be released on the Maximus Films' YouTube channel.