Buckle Up and Stay Alive!
There is no such thing as a time when it is safe for the driver or passengers of a vehicle to go without a seat belt, nor is it legal. In South Africa , as in many other countries around the world, it is a legal requirement that all passengers of a car wear a seat belt. According to the head of department of trauma at Red Cross Children's Hospital in Cape Town , Professor Sebastian von As, if an accident occurs and a child is thrown out of the car, there is a 75 percent chance that the child will die.
Robyn Farrell, 1 st For Women director, comments, “ A survey conducted by the AA's Public Affairs department earlier this year found that roughly 50% of drivers and 80% of passengers never use a seat belt. The department's Petro Kruger said that being forced to stop at even a relatively slow speed puts the same pressure on your body as falling from a building's fourth floor! The AA also reports that, last year, 338 children under the age of five died in car accidents on South Africa 's roads, and studies show that less than 10 percent of children travelling in cars are actually strapped into child restraint seats. What is even more frightening is what can happen when an adult holds a child or baby: The forces in a crash are so great that it is impossible to hold onto a child during a crash, so the child is likely to either be ejected from the vehicle or crushed by the adult holding it. On today's busy roads and with South Africa 's high accident statistics, not strapping yourself and your children in is inexcusable.”
Taking into account the fact that seatbelts can assist in reducing fatalities and serious injuries by as much as 50%, wearing a seat belt is an essential habit to develop. Like any other habit, the more you do it, the more it becomes an unconscious behaviour. Even better, you're likely to start feeling uncomfortable if you're not belted up. it also commonly known that a high percentage of accidents happen close to home, so it is not advisable to ever think that because you're just popping out around the corner, you don't need your seat belt. People dashing through stop streets or speeding through traffic circles can easily crash into other drivers who are driving safely.
Farrell concludes, “It is the responsibility of the driver to ensure that each and every occupant of the car is wearing a seat belt or is safely strapped into a car seat. Don't be bullied into letting your children or other passengers go without their seat belts, even if it's just down the road. Their safety is in your hands!”
1 st for Women Insurance offers women “Cover with Care”. For more information on 1 st for Women Insurance Brokers, visit www.firstforwomen.co.za .