Cape Town - Children who travel unrestrained on the laps of adult passengers can be killed or seriously injured even in a slight collision.
Transport and public works MEC Donald Grant said on Thursday: “In the Western Cape there are too often indications of the absence of child restraints among child passengers killed. Even though road deaths per capita are about 38 percent lower than in the rest of South Africa, every child killed is a concern.”
He appealed to parents and caregivers to buckle up their young children in age-appropriate car seats.
He stressed that the restraints on car seats, designed for different age groups, were more likely to absorb the force of an impact.
According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the use of a car seat reduces the risk of infant death in crashes by 71 percent, and toddlers by 54 percent in passenger vehicles.
However, not everybody can afford age-appropriate car seats for their children.
For this reason, KFM Breakfast launched its Car Seats for Kids campaign with Imperial, which encourages people to donate their unused seats during October, which is Transport Month. The seats will be “distributed” in the run-up to the festive season when there is normally an increase in road deaths and injuries.
“As a parent, I play a key role in keeping my child safe on the roads,” said KFM breakfast-show host Ryan O’Connor. “I feel privileged to be part of such a worthy campaign that will protect our kids on the roads.”
In the past three days, since the campaign was launched, 182 car seats have already been donated.
Over the past three years in Johannesburg, the campaign has collected, restored and redistributed 3000 car seats.
Imperial marketing representative Niki Cronje said: “We believe that the Western Cape boasts a spirit of giving back.
“As such, we will be bringing this great project to the province, expanding the campaign’s reach and driving further, national awareness.”
If you’d like to donate your unused car seat, you may do so between 6am and 6pm at the following venues:
Ratanga Junction: Friday 9 October.
Tygervalley Mall: Monday 12 October.
Silverleaf Primary: Tuesday 13 October .
Table View Primary: Wednesday 14 October.
Paarl Gymnasium Primary: Thursday 15 October
Ratanga Junction parking: Friday 16 October.
Cape Argus