Buckle up little ones when travelling

Paramedics who respond to accidents across the country are finding more frequently that children are critically injured or killed because they are not restrained in a car seat, or if they are older, in a seatbelt.

This is not just very taxing on the family, but also on the emergency services who have to try to save the child’s life.

READ ALSO: Tips on how to keep children safe this festive season

“Every day that we travel on the roads, we observe little children standing in-between the seat of the car, lying on the seats sleeping or sitting on mom or dad’s lap,” said Netcare 911 media liaison officer, Chris Botha.

“This is a very bad and reckless practice. If for some reason the driver has to make an emergency stop, the child will be flung forward at high speed and then crash into the windshield or the back of the seats.

Heaven forbid that the car overturns and the child is ejected from the vehicle and lands on the road or under a vehicle.

We plead with people this holiday season to take care and buckle those precious little ones up, so that they may enjoy the holidays.”

Tips to safeguard your little ones:

* Never share a seat belt with children.

* Never transport a child on a passenger’s lap.

* Never leave the straps of a child’s car seat undone.

* Always transport a child in a car seat suitable for their weight.

* Baby seats should be rear-facing for as long as possible.

* A child younger than 12 or shorter than 150cm is safest in the back seat.