Buckle up to save your child’s life!
Online car insurer dotsure.co.za. and an NGO, Wheel Well, are on a mission to curb the high rate of children dying due to not wearing seat belts.
Dotsure.co.za recently launched its car seat safety cause and, on September 18, they visited Martin Primary School to educate parents and caregivers, as well as children, about the dangers of not buckling up.
In terms of Amendment 22 to the National Road Traffic Act, 1996, the driver of the vehicle will be guilty of a criminal offence if any occupants are unrestrained when the vehicle is equipped with seat belts or car safety seats.
The law now also states that every child under the age of three years must be strapped into an appropriate car safety seat or booster seat, to help prevent serious injury in the event of a collision.
An informative yet fun presentation by Peggie Mars, from Wheel Well, communicated the dangers of not buckling up.
“Just taking a few minutes before you set off on your car journey, no matter how short, to properly strap your child in can mean the difference between life and death or severe and debilitating injury for your child,” Mars said.
Learners also had the opportunity to hear from 23-year-old Nicole Melck, who is a car crash survivor and now a Cause Ambassador for dotsure.co.za.
Nicole was 12 years old when the vehicle in which her family was travelling was involved in a head-on collision. She was not wearing her seat belt at the time.
“My aim is to provide the children with life saving knowledge about buckling up, so they don’t become victims of accidents, whereas they would have been saved if they buckled up,” she said.
“I would like to encourage parents to buckle up their child, because that one click could save you and your family.”
Car safety tips for children:
* Buckle up every time, no matter how short the trip.
* Children 12 years old and under should be properly restrained in the backseat.
*The backseat is generally the safest place for a child, while airbags can save lives.
*Never put a rear-facing child in a front seat with an active frontal airbag.
* Choose the right child safety seat or safety belt for your child’s size and age.
* Install and use your child safety seat or safety belt according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
q Ensure your child safety seat has not been in an accident.
