Now children need to buckle up too

motorists who do not strap children younger than three years old into car seats will be fined up to R500, in accordance with a new regulation in the National Road Traffic Act.

motorists who do not strap children younger than three years old into car seats will be fined up to R500, in accordance with a new regulation in the National Road Traffic Act.

Published May 4, 2015

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Durban - As of Friday 1 May, motorists who do not strap children younger than three years old into car seats will be fined up to R500, in accordance with a new regulation in the National Road Traffic Act.

Arrive Alive has welcomed the new regulation, saying that laws are disregarded on South African roads, with many children older than three not wearing seatbelts, and standing on cars’ front and back seats.

The Mercury checked the prices of car seats online on Sunday, and at stores such as Game and Toys R Us; they cost from R500 to R2000.

The new regulation does not apply to children travelling in a minibus, or bus, in which passengers are not legally obliged to buckle up.

Research has shown that seatbelts are the most effective method of reducing death and serious injury during a crash.

According to Arrive Alive, a review of various studies undertaken in the United States has shown that child safety seats that are correctly installed and used for children up to four years old could lessen the need for hospitalisation in the case of an accident by 69 percent.

Motorists and passengers need to buckle up even if the car has airbags.

Information available on the Arrive Alive website explains that in the event of an accident, child car seats reduce the risk of contact with the interior of the car, prevent the child from being thrown out of the car, and prevent injury to the other occupants of the car.

Seatbelts are necessary even at lower speeds, as about 80 percent of deaths and serious injuries occur in vehicles travelling slower than 80km/h.

Holding an unbuckled child on one’s lap would not protect them in a crash.

Babies and small children required a child seat, because an adult safety belt could cause the lap belt to ride up over the stomach and the shoulder belt to cut across the neck, potentially causing the child serious abdominal or neck injuries.

The Mercury

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