IN YOUR HANDS

The number one cause of deaths in children under the age of 10? Car accidents.

Years ago, our magazines did some research on what parents of babies and young children fear most. Top of the list was kidnapping and that their child would be the victim of crime. On WhatsApp groups and social media, these fears are discussed over and over. And yet, there is a much greater threat to our children’s lives and safety that gets very little air time: car accidents.

If you always st rap your child in, this puts you in a group of just 7 percent of motorists. Clearly, greater awareness is needed. Please make a point of talking to friends and family about car safety, as many people still think that holding a child on your lap is adequate. This is a huge mistake.

An adult holding a child provides absolutely no protection in the event of an accident. In a crash at a speed of 50km/hour, body weight is increased by around 30 times. So, a child weighing approximately 30kg turns into a projectile weighing a tonne. At the point of impact, no-one is capable of restraining them. The strength of the impact is equal to falling three storeys. If you wouldn’t drop your child from the third-floor balcony, don’t even consider holding them in your arms on your lap in a moving car.

“Every single one of us should be strapping our child into a well-secured car seat, no matter how short a car trip we are taking!” says Debbie Billson, operations director for car-seat brand Maxi-Cosi. While children under the age of 3 are legally required to be securely restrained in a car seat, standard seat belts in most cars are designed for adult passengers 150cm and taller, leaving children between the ages of 4 and 12 years old requiring additional support in the form of a booster seat.

“Children under 150cm are not safe just being secured by a seat belt. They are physically not developed enough to be secure,” Debbie says. “The lower belt doesn’t sit on their hips, as it is intended to do with adults, and rather ends up around their abdomen, which can result

in fatal internal injuries in the case of a crash. The upper section of the belt rests dangerously across their neck, as opposed to being on their shoulder, and can easily break a child’s neck in an accident! A simple booster seat can prevent unnecessary injuries and deaths.” ●