Buckle your children up – warns EMPD
“Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of accidental death for all young people from one-year-old babies through to teens."
Following a number of photographs sent to the NEWS of unrestrained children in cars, the authorities have shared their views on child safety in cars.
“What could be more important than the safety of your child while you are driving?” asked the spokesperson for the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD), Chief Superintendent Wilfred Kgasago.
“Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of accidental death for all young people from one-year-old babies through to teens. Too many vehicle deaths and injuries could have been prevented. With hundreds of fatalities every month, the importance of strapping a child into a car seat is a stark and harsh reality, and the statistics are frightening,” he added.
According to Supt Kgasago, appropriate child restraint systems are specifically designed to protect infants and young children from injury during a collision or a sudden stop.
“This is done by restraining their movement away from the vehicle structure and distributing the forces of a crash over the strongest parts of the body, with minimum damage to soft tissue,” he said.
Child restraints, such as car seats, are also effective in reducing injuries that can occur during non-crash events, such as a sudden stop, a swerving evasive manoeuvre or a door opening during vehicle movement.
“The safest place for children aged 12 years and under is in the back seat, properly restrained in an approved child safety seat,” said Supt Kgasago.
When a crash occurs, a car occupant without a seat-belt will continue to move at the same speed at which the vehicle was travelling before the collision. The person will be catapulted forward into the structure of the vehicle.
Alternatively, people can be ejected from the vehicle completely in some accidents.
“Airbags deploy at approximately 300 km/h. Therefore, vehicle occupants should ensure that they are restrained, regardless of whether a vehicle has an airbag installed or not. It is best for small children to be sitting in a child restraint on the back seat, away from the airbags,” said Supt Kgasago.
One of the most effective measures to protect occupants from injury in the event of a crash is the fitment and use of seat-belts and child restraints.
Restraints save lives and reduce injury severity, all vehicle occupants should be appropriately restrained when travelling in a motor vehicle.
“Failure to use a seat-belt is a major risk factor for road traffic deaths and injuries among vehicle occupants,” said Supt Kgasago.
- Compiled with the assistance of EMPD and Arrive Alive.
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