Car seat neglect puts children at risk

Regardless of it being the law that every child under the age of 3 be securely strapped into a car seat, a shocking 93% of motorists, taxis and bus services flaunt this law, which is not effectively enforced by police.

The majority of injuries, through car accidents, are due to a complete lack of any kind of child safety restraint.

Child Passenger Safety Week runs internationally from September 18 to 24.

“Strapping our children into a well-secured car seat needs to become something every single one of us does, no matter how short a car trip we undertake,” said Debbie Billson, operations director for Maxi-Cosi, who has been the driving force behind Child Passenger Safety Week since its inception six years ago in SA.

Many children are taken on trips of less than 3km without being strapped in. If unrestrained, an impact can prove fatal from speeds of 20km/h.

Adults holding a child in their arms provide absolutely no protection in the event of an accident. In a crash at a speed of

50km/h, body weight is increased by around 30 times. For example, a child weighing 30kg turns into a projectile weighing a ton. At the point of impact, no one is capable of restraining them.

The force of the impact is equal to falling from a three-storey building.

A recent study conducted by Arrive Alive found that seatbelt usage is much lower in central business districts in South Africa, suggesting that road users believe that in low-speed environments a seat belt is unimportant.

At the same time the Red Cross Memorial Hospital treats an average of 20 child passengers every month as a result of a car accident.

While children under the age of three are legally required to be securely restrained in a car seat, standard seat belts in most cars are designed for adult passengers 150cm and taller, leaving children between the ages of four and 12 requiring a booster seat.

“Children under 150cm are not safe just being secured by a seat belt, they are physically not developed enough to be secure,” said Billson.

“The lower belt does not sit on their hips, as it is intended to do with adults, and rather ends up around their abdomen, which can result in fatal internal injuries in the case of a crash. The upper section of the belt rests dangerously across their neck, as opposed to being on their shoulder, and can easily break a child’s neck. A simple booster seat can prevent unnecessary injuries and deaths.

“The average car seat costs only 1% of the value of most cars in SA,” said Billson.

“For the average lifespan of a car seat it works out to less than R2 per day to ensure your child is safe. There honestly is no excuse to not be securing your child into a car seat every time they get into a vehicle.”

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