Shocking number of SA parents don’t own car seats
ALMOST HALF OF SOUTH AFRICAN PARENTS DO NOT OWN CAR SEATS
Since 2015 it has been law in South Africa that children under the age of three-years-old must be strapped into a car seat while driving. There’s also a widely-quoted statistic that a properly fitted car seat reduces the chance of a baby dying in a car accident by 71%. Yet a Gumtree South Africa survey reveals that, while 84% of respondents were aware of this law and 97% agreed with it, as many as 57% of people with children under three-years-old did not have a car seat.
Jeff Osborne, Head of Automotive for Gumtree SA, says that the figure is “alarming”. “Unfortunately owning a car seat is non-negotiable – as is installing the seat correctly. Children are extremely vulnerable to injuries, even from a minor crash. They can be injured badly by air bags deploying, for example, if not in a rear-facing seat. A toddler, whose head is much larger than their body physiologically, will be propelled forward with much greater force (and impact) than an adult, leading to the risk of neck and back injuries. Seatbelts alone do not fit properly, and can’t protect young children.”
The main reason for not owning a car seat given by respondents was a belief that they were too expensive (81%) followed by 25% of parents who thought that normal seat belts were good enough. Osborne stresses that affordability should not be such an issue. “There are plenty of good quality, second hand car seats available online for purchase. It is an essential item to own.”
Also read: Mom’s car seat mistake almost costs her daughter’s life
To raise awareness around this issue and to increase usage of baby car seats, Gumtree joined the Car Seat Full Stop initiative earlier this year. Campaign creator Mandy Lee Miller says that a car seat should be a priority purchase above all other baby accessory purchases: “this is about possibly saving your baby’s life on our often unsafe roads”.
Osborne did find some encouragement in 64% of respondents knowing that if a car seat was too big or too small for a child, it offered no protection at all. He urges parents to keep checking the baby seat for size and also to always ensure that it is properly mounted in the vehicle. “Your seat requirements will change as your kid’s age. Make sure that your child is seated in a rear-seating seat until the age of 2. Your child should ride in a safety seat until his or her shoulders no longer fit under the straps. The seat has to be correct for the child’s height and weight. From about age 4 or younger they should use booster seats, and at age 8 they can graduate to the back seat without using a booster.”
*Gumtree showcases a range of car seats in good condition at affordable process – have a look at them here.
Via Gumtree SA