A HEAD-ON collision in eMdloti which saw a two-year-old thrown through the front window of a vehicle has prompted debate around child car seats and seatbelt safety. Northglen News was also recently sent a Facebook post of a child standing in between two front seats.

Now, ER24 spokesman, Chitra Bodasing Harduth, has reiterated the calls for wearing seat belts. Paramedics recently travelled to schools to speak about the importance of wearing a seat belt and being appropriately restrained in a vehicle.

The use of a child car seat for all children under the age of three was made compulsory from 1 May, 2015.

“Parents play a vital role in ensuring their children are safe while in a vehicle. We urge parents to take note of the new regulation, in the National Road Traffic Act, that aims to protect children by the use of the child car seat.  While it is law to use child car seats for children under the age of three, this does not mean that adults should ignore the need to restrain older children. Make sure they are restrained appropriately,” Harduth said.

What is the appropriate restraint for your child?

• Infants should ride rear-facing at least until they are a year old.
• Once they exceed the weight or height limit set by the manufacturer of the infant safety seat, they should continue to ride rear-facing in a convertible safety seat. It is best to keep toddlers rear-facing as long as possible.
• Children who have outgrown a convertible safety seat should use a booster seat until they are at least four feet
• Children who are tall enough to wear an adult seat belt should still ride in the back seat until they are 13. Adjust the seat belt so the lap belt crosses the child’s upper thighs and the diagonal belt crosses the upper chest at a point between the neck and shoulder.