These child pedestrians stats will make you sick to your stomach
In the Western Cape 191 children were killed on the roads in the province, 127 were run over, and 90 of these child pedestrians were aged 10 years or younger. In recognition of this, the WC government has established a campaign, Safely Home, which will be driving the message that we can all play a part in bringing down the appalling rate of child road deaths, especially in our poorer communities.
The campaign has also released an interactive map of child pedestrians killed in 2014 so far. In average, 75% of the children aged ten years or younger who are run over and killed in the province are from the Metro area, and almost entirely from poorer communities. The worst affected areas are Khayelitsha, Philippi, Delft, Nyanga, Mfuleni and Kraaifontein-Wallacedene.
How can you help make child road safety better?
– If you have children who must use the roads frequently, for example to walk to school, you must ensure they are well versed in the rules of the road.
-As a driver, you can help keep children safe by never speeding, and making a deliberate point of slowing down where large numbers of children are present.
– Large numbers of children are also killed as passengers, very often as a result of not being buckled up properly. Always use an age appropriate child seat when transporting children by road.
– Parents must also ensure that child pedestrians wear high-visibility clothing.