Roadblock with a difference
"What will it be – a fine or a free car seat?"
Unsuspecting parents were given an unusual gift during a mock roadblock held in front of Florida Primary School on the morning of 20 September.
“As part of the National Child Passenger Safety Week, which runs from 17–24 September, we embarked on a public awareness campaign to educate motorists about child road safety,” said councillor Michael Sun, the Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Public Safety.
The mock roadblock took place from 6am to 8am and parents with young children were given free car- and booster seats, and were educated about the dangers of not buckling up their children. “This initiative was started by dotsure.co.za approximately three years ago and we felt that it would be a good thing to partner with them in an attempt to promote child safety. We also used this opportunity to educate parents on the changes in the law (Regulation 213 of the National Road Traffic Act 93 of 1996, as amended) , which now stipulates that children up to three years of age need to be in a car seat when travelling on a public road,” the MMC said.
According to the MMC, drivers are not aware of this new law, and they could be penalised if they do not adhere to it. “But, penalties do not always go well. Parents need to be educated, not only about the legal aspect, but the safety implications as well, because safety is our number one concern. Although the morning started off with a few jittery parents being pulled over, they soon realised what the whole thing was about and it went well.
I did give them a choice of a fine or a free car seat – and naturally everyone opted for the car seat!” he said with a big smile.
Of the approximately 45 car seats handed out during the morning, the MMC assisted with the installation of four and said, “It was quite easy to install the seats and the children seemed quite happy with their new travel arrangements.”
https://www.facebook.com/JohannesburgMetropolitanPoliceDepartment2001/videos/1838067553189626/
“The fact that children are not buckled up contributes to the unacceptably high mortality and injury rate for children on our roads.
A staggering 85 per cent of South African children are still not buckled up on our roads. Through our education and awareness drive, we aim to change the mind-sets of motorists, to ensure that the correct child safety seat is always used,” said David Roache, the Managing Director of dotsure.co.za.
If you are not sure which car seat to use for your child, here are some tips:
• The best option for very young children is always a rear-facing seat that has a harness and helps to cradle the child during a crash to reduce stress on the fragile neck and spinal cord.
• A forward-facing car seat has a harness and tether that will limit your child’s forward movement during a crash.
• A booster seat positions the car’s seat belt to fit properly over the stronger part of your child’s body.
• A child can safely use a seat belt if it lies across the upper thighs and is snug across the shoulders and chest.
Another partner in the day’s activities was Wheel Well, a Non-governmental Organisation that specialises in child passenger safety. They are appealing to the community to donate car seats that are no longer in use, so that they can be donated to a deserving family. “We will safety check, clean and refurbish all donated seats before passing them on. For more information on this initiative, contact us on 072 385 7121 or 073 393 7356,” said Peggie Mars from Wheel Well.
“We will be more actively involved with all of these organisations to educate the community, not only on the law, but on the safety aspect as well. We will be safety ambassadors,” the MMC concluded.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at roodepoortrecord@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 955 1130.
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