Driving along the street of Springs, I have noticed a disturbing pattern.
Parents who take the utmost care with their safety, but not of their children.
What do these parents do?
They put on their seat belts but fail to do the same with their children.
Their children, usually toddlers, will be standing on the back seat of their car, holding on to the headrest of the driver’s seat.
How can you be that irresponsible?
Do you not understand how dangerous that is for your child?
Should you be forced to brake suddenly, depending on the speed you were travelling at and the how hard you brake, your child could go flying through the windscreen.
I don’t need to tell you what could happen after that.
I understand that booster seats are expensive and you may not be able to afford it, but the seatbelt is already there.
The least you can do is strap them in.
Your child might scream and cry and throw a tantrum because they can’t see the road, but it’s better than being dead or maimed for life.
“Studies in the United States have shown that wearing seatbelts could have prevented 75 per cent of injuries in children under the age of four, and 50 per cent in children aged four to 12,” says the head of the emergency and trauma unit at St Dominic’s Hospital, Dr Jeanne-Marie van der Westhuizen.
Rather you deal with an unhappy child than a dead one.
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Also, you’ll look like a proper fool when other people ask you why your child wasn’t strapped into their seat.
That admin is just not worth it.
While we’re on the topic, don’t forget about your other passengers.
It is compulsory for passengers and drivers to wear seatbelts in terms of Regulation 213(4) of the National Road Traffic Regulation, under the National Road Traffic Act, 1996 (Act No 93 of 1996).
Cognisance should also be taken of the prohibition by Regulation 213(5) of a person occupying a seat in a motor vehicle which is not fitted with a seatbelt, while those fitted with seatbelts are not occupied.
At the end of the day as the driver of the car, it is your responsibility to ensure your passengers are wearing their seatbelts.
Not only could they save their lives, but also spare you from getting fined by the police if you are stopped.
To spare you the trouble, just simply let your passengers know the car will not start if they are not wearing their seatbelts.
Speaking of the things parents do while they are driving around with their children … let’s control our tempers people.
Swearing at fellow drivers isn’t setting a very good example and neither is smoking.
All that second-hand smoke is just as bad, if not worse, for your child than it is for you.
Children imitate what they see, and who better than the people they love and trust the most.
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