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The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has announced that people driving around with their small children not strapped into car seats can now be issued a warning letter for breaking the law, and motorists are urged to report them, reports Centurion Rekord.
The minister of transport introduced a new regulation to the National Road Traffic Act, whereby officially as of May 1 2015, all children under the age of three years will have to be strapped into a car seat when travelling in a car.
“If you see someone driving around with their children not in a car seat or safely buckled up, call 0861 400 800,” said the spokesperson for the RTMC, Simon Zwane.
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The RTMC requests the following if an incident is to be reported:
– The name of the province in which the incident/offence was detected.
– The name of the city and suburb as well as the name of the street.
– The day, date and time of the incident.
– Detail of the vehicle observed: Registration number, make, model and colour.
– Detail of the incident.
“We not only encourage car seats, but seatbelts to be used in general. We would like to see a decrease in the huge number of young people dying on our roads. If all people adhered to the road safety laws, we would see a reduction of 60% in deaths on the roads,” Zwane said.
According to Arrive Alive, a child’s car seat has to comply with the South African National Standards (SANS) legislation.
Watch what could happen if you decide not to strap your kid in:
“A child restraint shall comply with the standard specification SABS 1340, ‘Child restraining devices in motor vehicles,’ and bear a certification mark or approval mark.”
According to Arrive Alive, studies have revealed that child safety seats that were correctly installed for use by children age 0-4 years could reduce the need for hospitalisation by 69% following a road crash.
Arrive Alive ensures that use of a properly installed car seat will:
– Reduce the risk of contact interior of the vehicle or reduce the severity of injuries if this occurs.
– Distribute the force of a crash over the strongest parts of the body.
– Prevent the occupant from being ejected from the vehicle on impact.
– Prevent injury to other occupants (for example in a frontal crash, unbelted rear-seated passengers can be catapulted forward and hit other occupants).
For people who cannot afford proper car seats or who would like to inquire on car seat safety, please contact Wheel Well or Drive More Safely for more information.
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