Every time a child gets into a car, it must be ensured that he or she is buckled up with a working seatbelt .
Cape Town – Do you ever argue with your parents or anyone else who tells you not to sit in the front seat, or who tells you to buckle up? Even insisting that you stop playing with car doors? If so, we will explain why.
Oratile Serapelo, 11, said that she was aware that she should not sit in the front seat of a moving car and that she should always wear her seat belt while in the car.
“Also, as kids, we must not open the door while the car is moving and throw things through the windows," said Oratile.
South Africa is celebrating its seventh year of Child Passenger Safety Week. Officially, it is an important drive to make sure that children are safe whenever they get in a car.
Debbie Billson, a leading car seat expert in South Africa, said that they were trying to get people talking about how important it was for our children to be safe.
“Our aim is to raise awareness about the importance of our children’s safety in motor vehicles," said Billson.
She said they aimed to educate and alert SA road users about the dangers of driving with children who were not safely buckled into a car seat.
"This, as well as ensuring the car seat they use has undergone the minimum crash testing required," she said.
This year's theme, "Love Clicked In", promotes the idea that putting your child in a car seat is both a caring and safe act.
Here are some safety advice given by Mohammed Kaka who is also an expert,
Kaka said that these ideas, are not just for babies, but also for older children.
He encouraged children to put their heads comfortably on the headrest of the booster seat, which will protect their neck.
"Sit in the backseat; it's much safer than the front, and every time you get into a car, make sure you're buckled in with a working seatbelt," said Kaka.
If your parents or anyone else directs you to sit in the back, do so, they know better but from reading above you also know.
Also, kids are advised to wait until they can properly fit in an adult seat belt, which is usually when they reach a height of 150cm and are between the ages of 4 and 12 years.
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