ChildSafe, a non-profit that specialises in child-injury prevention, handed out 17 car seats to social workers on World Social Work Day, on Tuesday March 15.
The handover took place at the ChildSafe office at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital.
The car seats were donated by the Road Accident Fund (RAF), and ChildSafe distributed them to social workers from Cape Mental Health, ChildLine, Child Welfare, Ikamva Labantu and Christine Revell Children’s Home.
ChildSafe executive director Zaitoon Rabaney said it was vital for children to buckle up. “In the event of a car crash and there is a child standing in the car, that child can be thrown out of the car, like a missile, and there is a 75% chance that the child will die.”
Children’s Hospital CEO, Dr Anita Parbhoo says their hospital sees way too many preventable injuries coming through their doors.
“Correctly using a child safety seat for smaller children and putting on a seat belt for older children and adults, helps prevent serious injury. Always buckle up, front and back, even for short trips. With your help, we can effectively reduce the risk of injuries and death among children,” she said.
ChildSafe reminds all parents and caregivers that:
- Children who are 12 and under should be properly restrained in a back seat.
- A back seat is generally the safest place for a child to ride.
- While airbags can save lives, children riding in the front seat can be seriously injured or killed when an airbag deploys in a crash. Even with advanced airbags or no airbags, the back seat is safer for children.
For more information on the prevention of road crashes, call ChildSafe at 021 685 5208 or visit www.childsafe.org.za
