Cape Town - Seeing a toddler standing on the backseat of a car or a baby sitting on a passenger’s lap is not an unusual sight on Cape Town’s roads.
But legislation, being proposed by the Western Cape government, could make it compulsory for parents to transport their children in proper kiddie care seats in a bid to curb the child death toll on the roads.
Recently it was reported that 191 children, including 47 vehicle passengers, were killed on the Western Cape’s roads last year.
In many countries in Europe and elsewhere, such legislation has been in place for several years and last year a new safety regulation, called i-size, was introduced in Europe regarding the transporting of children up to the age of 15 months.
The subject is set to be discussed at the MamaMagic Baby Expo this weekend, when Mohammed Kaka of Brand Africa will speak on car safety and the new European regulation.
Debbie Billson, co-owner of Brands Africa, which imports and distributes baby products, says many parents do not use the right size car seat and, even if they do, do not always install it correctly.
She says that in terms of the new European regulation, the height of the child and not their weight determines how the car seat should be installed in the car.
“The new standard encourages parents to leave their children in a rear-facing position for longer,” says Billson.
Where the previous regulation allowed for a forward-facing seat from about 9kg, children up to the age of 15 months would have to travel in a rear-facing seat under the new regulation. Travelling in this position provides better head and neck protection for an infant.
The regulation would also aim to ensure that car seats offer better protection against side impacts.
Billson says i-size car seats require an Isofix anchorage system, which comes standard in most new cars, and helps to alleviate incorrect installation of the car seat.
Other speakers at the expo include Dr Iqbal Karbanee, who will talk about common problems in newborns, and Dr Razia Alli, who will discuss allergies in children.
The MamaMagic Baby Expo is celebrating its 10th birthday and this year the expo includes products that could benefit the baby even before its birth.
Lizette van Huyssteen, co-ordinator of the Practica advisory service, says Early Learning in the Womb, which consists of a book and a CD of classical compositions, uses research-based techniques to help parents develop their baby’s brain from the second and third trimester.
She says Practica provides them with a summary of what is most important to know about prenatal stimulation.
Other new products include the Guardian Angel – a wireless tracking device that sets off an alarm when the child is more than a predetermined distance from the parent; Fresh Squeezed –a feeding system to create fresh food for baby; and a pregnancy safety belt, to better protect mom and baby in a car accident.
The expo runs until Sunday at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
For more information visit www.mamamagic.co.za.
Cape Argus