Awareness

Wheel Well Annual Report 2024

Wheel Well Annual Report 2024

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Wheel Well Annual Report 2024

Message from the Founder
As we reflect on another impactful year at Wheel Well, I am filled with gratitude for the support, generosity, and collaboration that have made our initiatives a success. Together, we are saving lives, creating awareness, and fostering a culture of safety for children on our roads.

Car Seats for Kids Campaign
The cornerstone of our work, Car Seats for Kids, continues to grow in reach and impact.

Activations: 11 events hosted this year, 9 with Supa Quick and 2 with Bakwena, who also makes a monthly contribution to us ensuring the viability of our incredibly special campaign.

  • Car Seats Handed Out:
    • 336 seats distributed at Supa Quick activations.
    • 553 seats distributed in the year to date, with a projected total of 643 by year-end (including December events).
    • Since 2012, a cumulative total of 11,649 car seats have been handed out.
  • Car Seat Donations:
    • 863 used car seats donated by the public.
    • 100 new car seats donated by Supa Quick and 46 by Bakwena.
    • Safeway: 45 new car seats
  • Collection drives:
    • Ongoing through Supa Quick: 524 car seats
    • Be Quick to Click: 165
    • Peg Perego South Africa: 3 new infant seats and 16 car seats collected through participating BP garages.

A special thanks goes to Triple Orange, our sponsor for cleaning products. Their gel and laundry detergent makes sure that the car seats cleaned by us are fresh and free of lurgies.

We are deeply grateful to Renault for sponsoring a branded Triber Express that allows us to do collections and be at our activations.

A special mention goes to Skynet, whose dedicated support has been pivotal to the success of this campaign. As part of their Corporate Social Investment (CSI) initiative, Skynet collects all the donated car seats from Supa Quick dealerships and ensures they are delivered to Wheel Well. This essential service has streamlined our operations and allowed us to get car seats into the hands of families who need them most. We are deeply grateful for their generosity and efficiency.

These collective efforts have significantly contributed to reducing child road fatalities and increasing awareness of the importance of proper child restraint use.

Halo Beanie Campaign
Our Halo Beanies initiative continues to brighten young lives and increase visibility for child pedestrians.

We have 2 components to this campaign: ready-made beanies with reflective tape sewn on and the handmade beanies with reflective yarn incorporated.

  1. Heartfelt Thanks to Our Sponsors
    We extend our deepest gratitude to:
  • Supa Quick and Dooya for their generous sponsorships of Halo Beanie Bags
  • Suzuki South Africa for their sponsorship of 1000 ready made beanies to be handed out at schools of their choice.
  1. Knitting Groups and Distribution Highlights
    The dedication and craftsmanship of our knitting groups were instrumental in the success of this year’s campaign:
  • Sylvia and her crochet group in Alexandra crocheted 100 beanies that were distributed to hurricane victims in Tongaat.
  • 200 beanies knitted by the ladies of St John’s Village were distributed to children in Kokstad.
  • African Brain Child took custody of 2 beanie packs and they were knitted by the International Women’s Club, Cape Town Chapter. They were so enthusiastic that they bought more wool and reflective yarn to knit extra beanies! These Halo Beanies have been distributed at Red Cross Hospital during weekly rounds as well as to Yabonga in Khayelitsha.
  • The Rotary Club of Meyerton and Henley-on-Klip’s knitting groups contributed 200 beanies, which were handed out at local primary schools.
  • The incredible efforts of SAVF Elderly Care Facilities resulted in 1,155 reflective beanies, distributed to children across Gauteng, North West, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga.
    • SAVF Children and Youth Care Centers (CYCCs) received 250 beanies, and Early Childhood Development Centers (ECDs) received 75 beanies, ensuring children in rural areas benefited directly from the campaign.
    • Additional outreach involved 8 schools (4 primary and 4 high schools) in four provinces, with 50 beanies donated per school.
    • 75 halo Beanies will be handed out at a Back-to-School event early next year.
    • Special recognition goes to SAVF for their impactful outreach in Mpumalanga, where 430 beanies were distributed to a school community grieving the loss of children who tragically died walking home. This effort was accompanied by post-traumatic counselling for students, teachers, and parents.
  1. Empowering Through Craft
    This initiative gave elderly participants the opportunity to “knit for a cause,” fostering a sense of contribution and community. The effort also sparked healthy competition among SAVF facilities to knit beyond the initial wool allocation, demonstrating their dedication and creativity.

The Halo Beanie Project continues to reflect the essence of Wheel Well’s mission: to safeguard children’s lives and empower communities. We look forward to expanding this life-saving initiative in 2025.

School Talks on Safety and Life Skills
This year, we conducted 19 school talks at secondary schools, focusing on practical and life-changing topics such as:

  • Vehicle safety inspections.
  • Demonstrations of safety equipment to manage emergencies, including reflective vests, warning triangles, and fire extinguishers.
  • Tyre safety basics to prevent collisions.
  • The Rotary Four-Way Test as a tool to guide ethical decision-making and navigate life’s challenges.

A special thank you to Bridgestone South Africa for their incredible support and invaluable insights in making this project a success. Their partnership has allowed us to reach and empower young drivers with the knowledge to stay safe and confident on the road.

Be Quick to Click Campaign
This year saw the continued success of our Be Quick to Click campaign during October, an educational initiative by African Brain Child, that empowers parents with knowledge about child restraints and Traumatic Brain Injury prevention. Supa Quick sponsored 100 brand new car seats that were handed out at Supa Quick Constantia. Our deep thanks to our generous sponsor, Supa Quick for their enthusiastic support of this campaign. Thanks also goes to African Brain Child for all their hard work in raising awareness on Traumatic Brain Injury affecting children in South Africa. This has become a powerful collaboration in raising awareness and educating parents on the basics of safe car seat usage. The car seat collection drive that forms part of this campaign resulted in 165 car seats donated.

Celebrating the Wheel Well Team
None of our achievements this year would have been possible without the extraordinary contributions of the Wheel Well team:

  • Theresa, our car seat expert, has been an invaluable resource, generously sharing her extensive knowledge with parents.
  • Ivan, our talented graphic artist, ensured our materials were visually engaging and impactful.
  • Nick from NADM Design, who crafted our cohesive and informative website, provided a window into what Wheel Well stands for.
  • Our board members: Yolandi Grundeling, Charmaine van Wyk, Pertunia Sibanyoni. Miles Benfield and Marilyn Rukande for their ongoing support and inspiration.

The team’s dedication to creating a reservoir of car seat knowledge and curating an impactful social media presence has been instrumental in our success.

Recognition
Our founder Peggie Mars is deeply honoured to have been recognized with a Paul Harris Fellowship by Rotary International a testament to our dedication to community service.

Looking Ahead
As we close the year, our resolve to protect children on South African roads remains stronger than ever. In 2025, we aim to extend our programs further, introduce new innovations, and engage even more partners and donors in our mission.

Thank you to everyone who has walked this journey with us—your belief in our cause is what drives us forward. Together, we are making roads safer, one child at a time.

With gratitude,
Peggie Mars
Founder, Wheel Well

Wheel Well Annual Report 2024 Read More »

Hot Cars Heatstroke

HOT CARS & HEATSTROKE

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Hot Cars Heatstroke

Summer holidays are almost here. As the hotter weather brings days at the beach, slices of watermelon, and the smell of sunscreen, we need to talk about the dangers of children in hot cars.

Recently, a news story took over social media. A father left his 2-year-old daughter in the car for hours while he browsed the web inside their house. The toddler died as a result. Investigations found it was a regular occurrence. He had intentionally left his children alone in the car many times.

There are also many cases of parents who have forgotten a child in a car. To most people, this sounds inconceivable. Yet, in a world filled with more stress and distraction than ever before, this becomes a risk.

We cannot overstate the dangers of leaving your child in a car. On average, 38 children die each year in the US as a result of being left in a hot vehicle. A hot car can cause heatstroke, dehydration, and brain damage in a child. These can have lifelong effects, even if they are not fatal. 

The largest age group of victims is children under 3 years old, making up 88% of deaths.

HOW FAST CAN A CAR HEAT UP? 

Many cases of hot car fatalities occur in a few hours. However, within 10 minutes, a car can reach 80% of the maximum temperature. This means that even leaving a small child in a vehicle while you “quickly run into the store” can be dangerous.

Researchers from San Francisco State University found that on a 35C day, the inside of a vehicle reached a temperature of 45C in the first 10 minutes. After an hour, the temperature had risen to almost 60C. Even on a cooler day when the temperature outside the vehicle was 21C, after an hour the temperature inside the car reached 45C.

The internal temperature rise can depend on several factors, aside from the outside temperature, such as:

  • Whether the vehicle is parked in shade or full sun
  • The colour of the vehicle, with darker colour vehicles heating up faster
  • The colour and material of the vehicle interiors
  • Window tinting

It is also important to note that opening the windows does little to slow down the rapid heating of a vehicle.

TODDLERS AND INFANTS MOST AT RISK 

Young children are most vulnerable to dying in cars and there are several reasons for this.

The heat in a car would be torturously hot and dangerous to a person of any age. Children are particularly at risk as their body temperature rises 3-5 times faster than that of an adult. Children also do not have a fully developed sweat system to help them cool down, therefore, they lose heat at a very slow rate.

Once the body reaches hyperthermia – higher than the normal 37C – a person is at risk of heatstroke. Heatstroke is a life-threatening heat illness. It can cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting, brain dysfunction, fainting, and slurred speech. Prolonged exposure to excessive heat can lead to organ failure, brain damage and permanent damage to the heart.

Consider too that children, especially toddlers and infants are less – or not at all – capable of getting themselves out of a locked car. They are also unable to clearly express their discomfort.

WHY ARE CHILDREN LEFT IN HOT CARS 

An organisation, Kids & Car Safety analysed the data of child hot car deaths in the US from 1990-2023.

According to their analysis, they attribute 15% of hot car deaths to knowingly leaving a child in a car. Due to ignorance or poor choices, a child should never be left alone in a hot car. Even aside from hot temperatures, a car is not a safe place for an unattended child. There are dangers such as releasing the handbrake, opening the windows or doors to strangers, sticking fingers into dangerous places, or being abducted in a hijacking. A car is not a substitute for a daycare, no matter how long or short you intend to leave a child alone in there.

A quarter of deaths in hot cars were the result of a child gaining access to a vehicle on their own. This can happen if a car is unlocked or the car keys are where children can reach them. Often, a child climbs into a vehicle and gets trapped, and adults find them when it is too late. In January 2024, in Limpopo – one of the hottest times of year – 3 young children died after playing alone in a parked, closed-window vehicle. A similar incident happened in Durban in 2016, when two toddlers climbed into a car at a neighbour’s house and became trapped inside. They both died from heatstroke.

Surprisingly, 55% of hot car deaths were due to people unknowingly leaving children in the car. Many of us may ask, “How do you forget your child in the car?”

Yet, there are many tragic stories of seemingly loving parents who did just that.

AUTOPILOT 

Everyone at some point has forgotten something important. It’s usually something small like leaving your keys on a shop counter after taking a call while getting coffee.

Forgotten Baby Syndrome is when a young child is mistakenly left in a hot car. The gut response is that it must be a result of negligence or substances. However, studies suggest many cases are unintended.

At the forefront of the studies into this phenomenon is Dr. David Diamond. He explains that “memory failure is the result of a competition between the brain’s “habit memory” system and its “prospective memory” system – and the habit memory system prevails.”

To explain in more simple terms: when carrying out habitual tasks, a disruption in the task can lead to us missing a step. Due to the repetitive nature, we pay less active attention to the task. In our minds, and often memory too, we have carried out the task in full. This is often referred to as “autopiloting”. This is even more likely to happen when we are stressed, tired or distracted.

In many instances, when parents have accidentally left their children in the car, they are convinced they have already dropped them off at daycare while commuting to work. There is an added risk when children fall asleep or are quiet during the journey.

It is observed that 25% of parents with children under 3 years old have lost awareness of their child in their vehicle at some point during a journey. With everyone more stressed, exhausted, and distracted, there is a much higher chance of this happening.

HOW TO AVOID HOT CAR DEATHS 

  • Place important items, such as your bag, in the backseat of your car. Alternatively, place your child’s bag on the passenger seat beside you.
  • Always remember to “look before you lock.” This is a life-saving habit to check the backseat of your car every time you lock your vehicle, even when your child is not with you.
  • Never leave your child alone in a car. This is regardless of the duration you intend to leave them, if the windows are open, or aircon is on. A child begins to overheat in minutes.
  • Never let children play in a car.
  • Always lock your car. It will prevent children from climbing in and getting stuck.
  • Place your car keys out of reach of children.
  • Teach your children to hoot the horn in case they find themselves alone or locked inside a car.

If you see a child alone in a car, never ignore them, especially on a hot day. Try to locate their parents or call emergency services. If they are unresponsive, do whatever is necessary to rescue them from the vehicle.

South African summers (even spring and autumn) can be unbearably hot. The holiday season should be memorable for all the right reasons. Be responsible, keep your kids with you while doing the festive season bustle and take a few seconds longer to check your backseat.

If you are planning to go away this festive season, make sure your car seat is ready for the journey – read our article here.

Happy holidays!

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Supa Quick Thank You

Supa Quick Thank You!

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Supa Quick Thank You!

Supa Quick Thank You

Event: Car Seats for Kids Handout in Recognition of Transport Month 

Location: Supa Quick Constantia, Cape Town 

Date: Saturday, 26 October 2024

Summary: 

In celebration of Transport Month and as a culmination of a car seat collection drive spanning September and October, we hosted a truly impactful Car Seats for Kids handout at Supa Quick Constantia in Cape Town. With generous sponsorship and invaluable support from Supa Quick and The African Brain Child consortium, this event highlighted the importance of preventing traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in children through proper car seat usage and education.

Campaign and Partnership Highlights:

Support from The African Brain Child Consortium: 

Our partnership with The African Brain Child consortium, under their Be Quick to Click campaign, was instrumental in the success of this handout event. African Brain Child’s dedication to TBI research aligns closely with our focus on child safety, and their commitment to this event went above and beyond. In addition to arranging flights and lovely accommodations for our team near the venue, African Brain Child supported extensive radio and TV coverage, a dynamic social media campaign, and devoted hours to planning and coordination. We extend our deepest gratitude for their leadership in promoting child safety and education.

Generous Sponsorship from Supa Quick: 

Supa Quick’s remarkable contribution of 100 brand-new car seats made this event truly unforgettable. This generous sponsorship allowed us to surprise parents with new car seats—a tremendous gift for those who came expecting secondhand seats. Supa Quick’s commitment to child safety was evident not only in their sponsorship but also in their hands-on support throughout the event, making this a day of joy and relief for many families.

Event Details: Car Seats Distributed: 

In addition to the 100 new seats sponsored by Supa Quick, our collection drive yielded 165 donated car seats, of which 84 were deemed safe and usable. These donations poured in from various Supa Quick dealerships, particularly during the last week of October, and we anticipate even more contributions as the campaign continues. With so many quality seats on hand, we will able to fit many children with the appropriate seat based on weight, age, and height, ensuring optimal safety going into the Festive Season. This is a wonderful improvement on the 84 car seats collected during last year’s drive. Of these donated seats, 45 were useable.

Education for Parents: 

A key focus of the event was educating parents on proper car seat installation and usage. Our team demonstrated how to use the car seat manual, stickers, and seat belt guides together for correct installation. By providing this hands-on guidance, we empowered parents to make their children’s safety a top priority each time they travel.

Community Atmosphere: 

The event atmosphere was vibrant and family-friendly, featuring lively music, delicious boerewors rolls, refreshing cool drinks, and face painting and coloring activities for the children. The warm, positive energy made the day feel like a true community celebration of safety and care.

Special Thanks: 

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to The African Brain Child consortium for their tireless work, Supa Quick for their exceptional sponsorship, and Joy Oldale, owner of Supa Quick Constantia, whose passion and dedication were crucial to the success of this event. Lastly, we thank the parents who attended for helping us create a safe and impactful event for the children.

Looking Forward: 

This event was a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when organizations, communities, and families unite for a common goal. We look forward to building on the momentum of this campaign and continuing to advocate for child road safety.

With much love
Peggie and Team
Education for Parents
The African Brain Child consortium
DONATE

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STRENGTHENING THE CHAIN OF ROAD SAFETY

STRENGTHENING THE CHAIN OF ROAD SAFETY

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STRENGTHENING THE CHAIN OF ROAD SAFETY

STRENGTHENING THE CHAIN OF ROAD SAFETY 

We often look at different aspects of road safety as separate factors. The reality is that road safety is a chain in which all these factors are linked.

We see so much emphasis on which is the best car seat and whether rear-facing is better than forward-facing that oftentimes, we overlook other links in the “road safety chain”. While having a good child restraint system is important, its efficacy is diminished if the driver does not observe safe driving, if weather conditions are bad, or if you have neglected to replace your tyres.

Like any chain – figurative or literal – it is only as strong as the individual links of its makeup. Any link that is weak or broken will cause the chain to fall apart. One link is no more important than the rest when it comes to the effectiveness of the chain as a whole. This is also true when it comes to road safety.

CHAIN LINK ONE: CHILD SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM 

By law, all children must use a car seat up until the age of 3 years old.

Keep in mind that almost everything in a car is manufactured around the size and weight of an adult. Up until the age of 10, car seats and other child restraint systems will always be the safest option for your child. Thereafter they will be the correct size and weight to use a seatbelt.

Make sure that your child is using the right type of car seat for their developmental stage. Their bodies are still growing and changing and they have different needs at each stage of development. They need the right car seat to accommodate these needs.

Do not feel pressured to move your child to their next car seat, as soon as they reach the minimum requirements for that seat. Last month, we looked at a study that analysed crash statistics and it indicated that children were vulnerable during the transition period from one seat to the next. Keep them in their current car seat as long as possible. As you can see from our  , the transition period can span several months. In that time, they continue to develop with their little bodies becoming stronger. Use our chart to track your child’s development so that you know when they will be ready for their next car seat.

Also important is the correct installation of your car seat. A car seat that is not properly installed could be more harmful to your child than having no car seat at all. We cannot stress the importance of carefully following the installation guidelines as set out in the manual.

Modern cars include a universal car seat anchorage system known as ISOFIX. Choosing an ISOFIX-compatible car seat will allow for easy installation in most vehicles.

CHAIN LINK TWO: A SAFE DRIVER 

One might argue that road safety starts with the driver. While a driver cannot always control the factors external to the car, they are responsible for their passengers inside their car.

The driver must set an example for their passengers – especially their children who tend to follow the actions of those around them. For example, statistics show that there is less chance that other passengers in a vehicle will use a seatbelt if the driver neglects to do so. By extension, a driver should always be informed of road safety practices and demonstrate them inside their vehicle and out.

Drivers should also never overload their vehicles. Each person should have their own seat and thus their own seatbelt or car seat. An overloaded vehicle means that not every passenger is safely restrained. The extra weight and force of additional and unrestrained bodies can lead to greater injury or death in a crash.

Your children are also worth the time it takes to teach and reinforce road safety rules. As most of us cannot be with our children every second of the day, we are responsible for teaching them principles that might keep them safe when they are in someone else’s care.

It is also important for a driver to operate a vehicle with a clear mind. Focus on operating your vehicle safely without distraction. No one should ever drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol, no matter how capable you think you may be in that state. Driving while fatigued is also a big contributor to car crashes.

Distractions behind the wheel are incredibly dangerous – in South Africa, texting while driving is the reason behind 25% of crashes.

When you are driving, your mind should be present and focused while doing so.

CHAIN LINK THREE: A SAFE VEHICLE 

Vehicle maintenance is vital to road safety. Routine maintenance should be a top priority. A well-maintained car has a much higher chance of keeping occupants safer in a crash or avoiding a crash altogether.

Routine maintenance will ensure that your engine, tyres, wheel alignment, brake pads, lights and other functions of your vehicle are running at optimal condition. Drivers should also regularly inspect their vehicles for damage and wear between services.

The cost of maintaining a vehicle often leads to many people putting off maintenance as long as they can. Delaying maintenance is not only unsafe but it can lead to small problems becoming bigger and more expensive over time. Maintenance will also more likely find hidden problems that a driver may miss in their inspections.

CHAIN LINK FOUR: SAFE ROADS AND DRIVING CONDITIONS 

Every driver knows that driving can be unpredictable when it comes to other road users and atypical driving conditions. One of the challenges of driving is anticipating potential dangers and avoiding them.

Defensive driving is a great practice for all drivers. Defensive driving prioritises safe driving by having the driver constantly process and analyse the potential risks around them. Driving at a speed appropriate for the roads you are travelling on allows you more time to react to unpredictable situations and avoid the likelihood of a crash.

 A good driver adapts their driving to fit the conditions around them. We maintain that for every adverse driving condition – such as bad weather, low light conditions, busy traffic, residential or school zones where children are dashing into the road and so on – you should reduce your speed by 10% per condition. If you are driving with children, you should further reduce your speed by 10% as they are vulnerable passengers in the event of a crash.

When travelling, try to remain knowledgeable of avoidable hazards, roadworks, power outages or dangerous areas. The more you know, the more capable you are of better judgement.

Road safety is essential, especially if it keeps our children safe. But it must extend to all four of these areas of road safety. Parents and caregivers must work at constantly maintaining and improving these different links of the road safety chain in equal measure to keep themselves, their children, and other road users safe.

Consider the strength of your road safety chain and how you can work on fortifying the links that hold it together.

STRENGTHENING THE CHAIN OF ROAD SAFETY Read More »

HOW CAR SEATS PROTECT YOUR CHILD

HOW CAR SEATS PROTECT YOUR CHILD

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HOW CAR SEATS PROTECT YOUR CHILD

HOW CAR SEATS PROTECT YOUR CHILD

When it comes to road safety for children, car seats are one of the most effective ways to protect your child on the road.

We have spoken at length about the importance of using a carseat, but we often get asked how car seats protect children in the event of a crash. Car seats can reduce the chance of death in a car crash for an infant by 71% – car seats save lives! In understanding the relationship between car seat design, the developmental stages of a child and the dynamics of car crashes, we hope to drive home how imperative a car seat is to protecting your young child.

HOW CAR SEATS WORK 

Cars are typically designed around the size and weight of adult bodies. For this reason, the safety mechanisms that are part of a car’s design are not as effective for a child.

Firstly, a child has a far smaller overall size than an adult, therefore a safety system like a seatbelt for an adult would not adequately secure a child.

A child’s body is also still in the process of developing. Joints and bones are more fragile. Parts of their skulls are not yet fused, leaving the brain vulnerable. Similar is true of the hip and pelvis which is made up of 6 bones in an infant or young child, which eventually grow together to form two structurally stronger bones in an adult. A child’s head-to-body ratio is much larger than that of an adult, which means in a crash, they are more likely to be thrown head first with the momentum of the impact.

The design of a car seat takes the vulnerabilities of a developing child into consideration. The three main safety concerns that a car seat aims to solve are: impact absorption, force distribution, physical protection.

In a crash, not only does your car seat secure your child in place so that they are not flung from where they are sitting, either into other passengers, objects or from the car altogether, but a car seat is designed to safely cradle your child through the momentum. A car seat should minimise the force of a crash to vulnerable areas of your child’s body, such as the skull, spine and pelvis.

A car seat harness will also distribute the force more safely, unlike an adult seatbelt which when used for a child, will concentrate the force to under-developed parts of the body, damaging soft joints and unprotected organs, such as the pelvis or abdomen.

The protective shell structure and padding of a car seat also helps to cushion the impact, while not allowing a child’s body to move around in the chair.

In order for a car seat to be effective, it must also be appropriate to your child’s developmental stage. Car seats use a weight-and-age range to ensure that it safely caters to your child as an infant, toddler or young child.

TYPES OF CAR SEATS AND WHEN TO USE THEM 

Children should use car seats up until they are tall enough to safely make use of a seatbelt – at least 115cm tall, usually around 6 years old. However, until then from infancy, their bodies are developing and changing regularly and 3 different types of car seats are used as your child grows.

Transitions between different car seat groups are determined by their age and weight. The transitional period is represented as a range. It is advisable to keep your child in their current car seat as long as possible until they reach the upper limit of their age-weight range. Moving them too early may be premature for their needs at their current developmental stage.

You can find our Weight for Age charts here:

Infant Seats (up to 13kg or 15 months):

Infant seats are designed for babies who are not yet able to sit and support their bodies by themselves. Designed with a flatter angle, they cradle an infant, supporting their back and spine. Infant seats must be rear-faced as this allows the backrest of the infant seat to provide support in the event of front or side impact in a crash. If the seat were front-facing, the momentum of a crash would propel an infant forwards. This momentum would put immense force on their very fragile under-developed neck, spine and skull, which if not fatal, could result in life-long injuries.

Toddler Seats (from 6 months, 9kg or 70cm tall):

Once your child is able to sit up by themselves, a toddler seat provides support in a more upright position, allowing them to better see the world around them. Toddler seats are also able to recline to allow support while your child sleeps. Toddler seats can be rear- or front-facing, however toddler seats must remain rear-facing until your child is at least 15 months old.

When buying a toddler seat, ensure that it has a 5-point harness. Although your toddler is developing and their joints are stronger than that of an infant, a 5-point harness will allow for impact force of a crash to be distributed more evenly to the strongest points of their body. A 5-point harness will also keep them in a safe and secure position.

Booster Seats (from 4 years old, 95cm or a minimum of 15kg):

As we mentioned above, seat belts are typically designed around the size of an adult. Booster seats solve this problem for children by raising them up and positioning them correctly to safely make use of a 3-point seat belt.

A 3-point seat belt must be able to cross their lap and the middle of their shoulder. If a child is too small for this positioning of the belt, the result is that it will cross their stomach or will be too close to their neck. If they are unable to use the upper-body part of the belt, this also indicates that they are too small. A 3-point seat belt must anchor your child across the strongest parts of their body. In a crash, an incorrectly positioned seat belt can cause severe and potentially fatal injuries to the abdomen, neck and spine.

ESSENTIAL CAR SEAT SAFETY 

Car seats for children save lives. However it should be reiterated that for a car seat to be effective, it must be the right type of  car seat for your child’s developmental stage. An incorrect car seat would not only prove less capable of protecting your child in a car crash, but could cause a higher chance of injury or death.

The same is true of incorrectly installed car seats. When installing a car seat, ensure that you follow the manual closely so that your child is safely secured as intended. Double-check all anchor points and belts before placing your child in their car seat.

Car seats must be maintained and kept clean. Not only does a dirty car seat surround your child with potentially harmful germs, but grime and crumbs can affect the functionality of the mechanisms. Old and secondhand car seats should be inspected by a professional before being used to ensure they are in working condition.

Car seats, especially rear-facing car seats, should not be installed in the passenger seat if an airbag is active. An airbag deploys with immense force which can cause severe injuries. If deployed into a rear-facing car seat, it will propel your child face first into the backrest of the passenger seat, leading to a high risk of fatal injuries.  Car seats are safest installed on the backseat of a car.

In South Africa, children up until the age of 3 years old must use a car seat by law. Despite this, understanding how car seats are designed to protect the vulnerabilities of a growing child, we would always recommend using a car seat up until at least 6 years old.

If you need help with choosing your next car seat, installation or maintenance, please get in contact with Wheel Well.

HOW CAR SEATS PROTECT YOUR CHILD Read More »

Child Passenger safely in a Car Seat.

CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY MONTH _ REFLECTING ON THE PAST YEAR

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Child Passenger safely in a Car Seat.

CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY MONTH: REFLECTING ON THE PAST YEAR

Child Passenger Safety Month is once again upon us and is an important time to raise awareness about the safety of children on the road.

As we know, road-related incidents are the number one killer of children worldwide, disproportionately impacting low- to middle-income countries more heavily. In order to enact change, ourselves and other organisations need to amplify the voices of our communities to rally for change in regulations, practices and education, to minimise the number of children who die in preventable road incidents.

A big issue we have examined this year has been around school transport safety. We also collaborated with African Brain Child who do valuable research into Traumatic Brain Injuries and the impact that they have on children. As always, we have also campaigned endlessly for proper car seat usage and provided many families with car seats for their young passengers. In this article, we would like to reflect on these topics, how they have helped and where there is space for change and growth.

A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF RISKS TO CHILD ROAD USERS

Children are our most vulnerable road users, whether they are passengers or pedestrians. Without proper safety in place, millions of children die on our roads from incidents that could have been prevented.

An impactful way to keep your child safe in a car is to make use of a car seat or other forms of age-appropriate child restraint systems. Earlier this year, we wrote an article about the myths regarding safe car seat usage. It is imperative that all children are restrained in a vehicle with a car seat that is suitable for their age-weight range. It is equally important that car seats are both maintained and correctly installed, so that it can protect your child in the way it was designed to. This can greatly reduce the chance of injury or fatality in the event of a crash. And always, always “be quick to click” and buckle up your passengers, young and old. Car crashes also account for the highest portion of Traumatic Brain Injuries in children. TBIs, if not fatal, can leave children with lifelong physical and mental challenges, drastically changing the course of their lives.

Many children in South Africa rely on public transport to get to and from school. However, a great number of children are left having to walk to school. This exposes children to many risks, one of which is pedestrian safety. Our small pedestrians are less visible to vehicles and unattended by adults, are less capable of being safe around roads.

Unregulated public transport remains a huge problem in South Africa where many children are killed in crashes getting to and from school. WIthout dedicated and regulated school transport, there is little standardisation when it comes to safe drivers, roadworthy vehicles and the safe and correct loading of children into vehicles.

SCHOOL TRANSPORT SAFETY MUST BE CHANGED

This year we have spoken about the dire need for better regulations for school transport. Unfortunately, shortly after our last article on the topic, more school children were injured or killed on our roads in several separate incidents, a few weeks apart.

One crash bore an eerie similarity to the Blackheath train incident that we covered in our article. A train struck a school bus in Middelburg after the allegedly drunk driver failed to stop at a crossing. Six children were killed, while 19 more were hospitalised. Much like the Blackheath train incident, “human error” was cited as the reason for this crash. How much “human error” can we prevent with better regulations? With professional drivers who are specifically certified to carry children?  Or with the safety of students being a priority. According to an article by The Citizen, Thulasizwe Thomo, MEC of Public Works, Roads & Transport at the funeral of the deceased children “urged school bus drivers not to get behind the wheel when they are tired or under the influence.” This comment should fill us all with rage and frustration. It is not enough to “urge” drivers to manage themselves, when there exists a systemic problem in our school transport regulations for which children are paying the price.

On the same day as the memorial service for the learners who died in the school bus-train crash, seven school children who were walking home from school were struck by a vehicle. Thankfully the children survived, however they all sustained injuries.

In another incident, a bakkie, a truck and a school bus crashed on account of unsafe overtaking of vehicles. This serves as another aspect of school transport that must be changed – stricter regulations that dictate how other road users should safely navigate school buses on our roads.

Under similar circumstances, in Carltonville, a Ford Ranger rear-ended a minibus taxi causing it to roll and catch fire, killing 11 children and the driver, “burnt beyond recognition”.

Wheel Well founder, Peggie Mars was invited to comment on the Carltonville crash on Newzroom Afrika.

Mars: not enough done to ensure scholar transport safety

Hopefully, under the GNU we will see school transport subsidised and better regulated to ensure the safety of learners. Until change is made, we will continue to spread awareness and campaign for safer roads.

AFRICAN BRAIN CHILD AND WHEEL WELL COLLABORATION

In August, we collaborated with African Brain Child with a shared passion in reducing the cases of Traumatic Brain Injuries in children. Together we put out the call to our audiences for car seat donations to distribute to families who otherwise may not be able to afford them. You can read more about TBIs and African Brain Child’s work in our August article here.

We are happy to announce that we have secured a 100 car seat donation for our Cape Town event. If you family is in need of a car seat, or have one to donate, we are doing a handout with African Brain Child on 26th October at Supa Quick Constantia.

If you have an old car seat gathering dust, consider donating it at your nearest Supa Quick store and Wheel Well will have it cleaned up and fixed for a child who will become safer on our roads.

HALO BEANIES

In response to the previously mentioned road incident where a vehicle collided with seven children in Mpumulanga, we arranged for the donation of our Halo Beanies to the school to which the pupils belonged. Halo Beanies are beanies that are knitted with a high-visibility reflective strip that helps make children more visible to vehicles.

See facebook post here: 

The Halo Beanies project is only possible through the help and support of our community – whether through the donation of Beanie Packs containing materials, or through volunteer knitters. If this is a project you would like to get involved in, get in contact with us.

THE FUTURE OF CHILD ROAD SAFETY IN SOUTH AFRICA

To end on a positive note, we are happy to hear that the RTMC (Road Traffic Management Corporation) will be launching Project EDWARD (Every Day Without A Road Death) in South Africa. This was originally an award-winning UK-based campaign that aimed to reduce the number of deaths on the road. They promote an evidence-led safe system approach which minimises the risk of death and fatality on account of traffic.

The 5 key components:

  • Safe Roads – Safety-conscious road planning, design and engineering
  • Safe Vehicles – Promoting vehicles with collision avoidance & injury mitigation systems
  • Safe Speeds – Managing speeds to crash survival levels
  • Safe Road Users – Deterring dangerous behaviour and ensuring compliance: education & enforcement
  • Post-Crash Response – Fast and efficient emergency medical help, diagnosis and care

RTMC will also be working closely with road safety NPOs to facilitate Project EDWARD, allowing us to have a voice in the changes made.

The safety of children on our roads is a continuous battle for change. In honour of Child Passenger Safety Month, we urge you to get involved either through donations, support or awareness. At the very least, buckle up your kids and keep them safe.

CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY MONTH _ REFLECTING ON THE PAST YEAR Read More »

CLICK FOR ROAD SAFETY: TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES

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Every year, an estimated 60 million children worldwide suffer from Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) due to car crashes and lack of road safety.

Car crashes are tragically recognised as the leading cause of death among children globally. But the devastating impact extends beyond fatalities. Many children who survive these crashes are left with lifelong brain injuries that can alter the course of their lives.

In response to this critical issue, Wheel Well has partnered with African Brain Child. ABC is a research initiative dedicated to reducing the risk of TBIs in children. Together, we are working to bring attention to this often-overlooked aspect of road safety. We need to find solutions that can protect our most vulnerable passengers.

THE AFRICAN BRAIN CHILD INITIATIVE 

African Brain Child is an initiative dedicated to helping children with brain injuries reclaim their lives. Based within the Pediatric Neurosurgery Unit at Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and the Neuroscience Institute at the University of Cape Town, this program offers specialised care and cutting-edge research to support young patients on their journey to recovery.

African Brain Child also looks at brain health within the South African context. This is incredibly important when considering that road accidents are the highest contributor to traumatic brain injuries in children. While this is true on a global scale, 90% of road-related deaths occur in low- to middle-income countries. Children in South Africa are eight times more likely to die on the road compared to children in the UK. Comparatively, it is ten times more likely than children in Switzerland.

Besides the life-changing work and research they do to help children living with TBIs, they also campaign for awareness. With regards to road-related incidents, they aim to ensure the safety of kids and prevent TBIs. Their “Be Quick To Click” campaign focuses on motivating seatbelt use. Using a seatbelt can drastically lower the chances of TBIs and death in a car crash.

Be Quick To Click Campaign: Video

WHAT IS A TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY?

A traumatic brain injury is an injury to the brain caused by violent force or a sudden jolt, resulting in the brain bouncing against the skull or even twisting. This can damage the brain tissue or blood vessels that are vital to the functioning of a healthy brain.

Children are particularly vulnerable to sustaining TBIs on account of their still-developing bodies. Toddlers and infants are especially at risk, as the skull and spine are very fragile and are less capable of protecting brain injuries.

As the brain is still developing in children, a TBI can hinder their development and thus increase the severity of disability and long-term damage.

LIFE WITH A TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

A TBI can utterly change a child’s life and determine their future. We often ask children what they want to be when they grow up. A firefighter, an astronaut, a famous ballet dancer – we ask them about their dreams for their bright and happy future ahead. But a single moment can rob them of their right to see these dreams become a reality.

Survivors of serious TBIs may be left with a physical disability, emotional or cognitive difficulties, behavioural disorders or learning difficulties.

A 2015 interview by Dotsure with the Melck family, discusses the life-changing impact a car crash had on their daughter Nicole, who sustained a TBI in a car crash. Looking back, Nicole says she had been an “active, full of energy child”. She used to love riding bikes, skateboarding and riding horses. She had dreams to one day become a veterinarian and was an A-team swimmer.

When driving home at night, a car pulled out in front of them. Nicole’s father had to swerve into oncoming traffic which led to a head-on collision.

In the crash, Nicole, who was not wearing a seatbelt at the time, was flung forward into the car seat in front of her. The impact her body was thrown with had enough force to break the seat in front of her, shattering her dreams for the future in the process.

Nicole states the heartbreaking reality of living with a disability on account of a TBI,

“A simple thing like tying your shoelace, buttoning up your belt or your pants – that has been taken away from me. I wake up every morning and say ‘If I had just buckled up’”

Nicole Melck – I should’ve buckled up: Video

CAUSES OF TBIs IN CAR CRASHES 

The Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital alone sees 2000 children (under the age of 12) with head injuries every year. Of these children, 80% suffer serious head injuries as a result of road accidents. Like Nicole Melck, a staggering 96% of them were not wearing a seatbelt when the car crash occurred. With the use of a seatbelt, death and injury to children in a car crash is preventable.

African Brain Child, through its research, determines that seatbelt use is the most effective and accessible way to save the lives of South African children on the road. 

Because a child is small in size and weight, in a car crash, their body becomes a projectile. They also have a larger head-to-body ratio which means that in the momentum of a crash, they are usually flung head-first with incredible force.

The long-term effects of a TBI range from:

  • Physical disability which may result in the use of a wheelchair or a person being bed-bound
  • Lifelong care for daily tasks such as eating, dressing and bathing
  • A child may not be able to go to school because of learning or physical disabilities, or else may require a special needs school
  • Their ability to socialise may be affected
  • In the future, they may not be able to work and will rely on the support of others

In low-income countries, many families may not have the resources to properly support and care for a child with severe disabilities. This puts a lot of pressure on already struggling families and minimising the quality of life for the survivor.

PREVENTING TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES IN A CRASH 

The use of a child restraint system can reduce the deaths of children on our roads by 60%. ABC’s “Be Quick To Click” campaign aims to create awareness for ensuring that children are buckled up when in a vehicle. Not only does this save lives, but minimises the chance of an injury that can change the course of a child’s entire life.

“Be Quick To Click” – the “click” referring to the sound of a seatbelt being secured into place – offers a catchy phrase parents can teach their children as a reminder to buckle up. It’s never too early to teach road safety rules to your child which could mean the difference between life and death.

According to South African regulations, a child up to 3 years old must be secured in a car seat. A child up to age 14 must use a child restraint system or seatbelt. But keeping our children safely restrained starts with us. Adults must always use a seatbelt in a vehicle. Statistics have shown that adults who don’t buckle up are less likely to ensure that their child passengers are also safely restrained.

Wheel Well’s Car Seats for Kids campaign also helps families overcome the financial barrier to car seat safety. We donate used car seats to families to ensure the safety of their children. Wheel Well also offers resources on the Printables page for finding the correct child restraint system for your child’s age and weight range which is also important for their safety.

No one ever plans to get into a car crash – do all you can now to avoid having heartbreaking regret in the future. Fastening a seatbelt only takes 5 seconds, be quick to click and keep your child’s life and dreams of the future safe.

CLICK FOR ROAD SAFETY: TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES Read More »

THE HIGH IMPACT OF SPEED IN CAR CRASHES

THE HIGH IMPACT OF SPEED IN CAR CRASHES

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THE HIGH IMPACT OF SPEED IN CAR CRASHES

THE HIGH IMPACT OF SPEED IN CAR CRASHES

THE HIGH IMPACT OF SPEED IN CAR CRASHES
“Speed kills”, as the many Arrive Alive signs along the highway remind us. And yet many drivers still do, often justifying their reasons for doing so. Yet the impact speed can have in car crashes is huge.
Many people think that speeding will help them reach their destination faster. However, the time saved is often minimal compared to the safety risks involved. While drivers are responsible for their actions, we also need to think about how roads are designed, city planning decisions, and the rules about speeding.
In this article, we will be referring to the “Guide for Safe Roads” study released by the World Bank Group. They have proposed a Roads-For-Life framework that prioritises the safety of the most vulnerable road users.

DO FAST SPEEDS MEAN FASTER TRAVEL TIME?
There are many reasons why people speed – none of them justified. People think that driving faster will allow them to reach their destination sooner. This may only be true in specific scenarios, but in reality, speeding will likely only delay your travel time.
By increasing speed by “just” 1 km/h, the risk for injury is increased by 3%, while risk of death rises to 4-5%. And 1 km/h seems like an amount that sounds almost trivial. As speed increases, the chance of a crash exponentially rises. When a crash happens in traffic, it causes congestion, which slows down traffic and increases travel time for everyone.
Another aspect to consider is that roads are designed with the number of vehicles and the speed of the road in mind. By exceeding the speed limit determined for that part of the road will result in a bottleneck in traffic. During peak times this brings the flow of traffic to a glacial crawl. Sometimes completely halting it altogether.
Speeding also makes roads a more hostile environment for pedestrians and cyclists. As they are more vulnerable road users, it puts them at greater risk of injury or death. The result is a heavier reliance on vehicles as a mode of transport, adding more vehicles to the flow of traffic.
Speeding is selfishly motivated, while road safety actions are for the good of the community. By rushing to get to work on time, drivers are ignoring the greater good. This impacts all users on the road and contributes to slowing everyone down, often including themselves. Better self-planning goes a long way to ensuring the safety of everyone and ourselves.

HOW SPEED INFLUENCES THE OUTCOME OF A CAR CRASH
When we see someone speeding down the highway in a sports car, we often shake our heads at their irresponsible behaviour. But, when we get a speeding ticket for going just 5 km/h over the limit, we might feel frustrated and think it’s unfair. But any amount of speeding can have serious consequences.
The faster we drive, the less time we have to understand what’s happening around us. This reduces our ability to make good decisions and react safely, especially when time is short. As speed increases, our field of vision narrows, making it hard to see anything but the road right in front of us. A good driver knows that being aware of everything around the car is crucial for safety, and this awareness decreases as we speed up.
At higher speeds, the distance needed to stop a vehicle increases. For example, a car travelling at 30 km/h requires only 14 metres to stop, while at 65 km/h, it needs 44 metres. This means that drivers going faster have less time and space to react and avoid a collision.
The speed of a vehicle greatly affects the risk of injury or death when it hits a pedestrian. For instance, if a car hits a pedestrian at 30 km/h, there’s a 13% chance of serious injury or death. But, if the car is going 60 km/h, that chance jumps to 73%.
For passengers in a vehicle, the force of a collision is much greater at higher speeds, which greatly reduces their chance of survival.
Modern technology in cars can make drivers feel safer and more in control. Yet, this can create a false sense of security, leading some to believe that speeding is now safer. In reality, technology doesn’t prevent human error or improve our judgement in a crash. While drivers might feel more secure, it doesn’t reduce the higher risk of collisions for pedestrians and other road users caused by speeding.

ROADS-FOR-LIFE FRAMEWORK
When setting speed limits, decision-makers usually focus on the needs of motor vehicles. These decisions often aim to improve traffic flow and efficiency for vehicles. This often means that the safety of other road users, like pedestrians and cyclists, becomes a lower priority.
Speed limits are also often based around the “85th percentile” method. This bases speed limits on a desired speed that 85% of motorists will observe. However, the “desired speed” of an individual driver is often subjective. It does not take into account all the benefits of driving at a lower speed. This means that even speeds that most people consider appropriate, are higher than what could be considered objectively safe.
The Roads-For-Life framework proposes that to minimise the impact of speeding and make the roads safer for everyone, we must prioritise the safety of everyone using the road. Especially the most vulnerable road users such as the elderly, children and women.
To determine the survivable impact speed of a road it considers the following factors:
● The characteristics of a road, including the surrounding activities and the use of the road
● The space required for users in specific cases such as around schools, hospitals or high pedestrian areas
● The type of road users and traffic
● Infrastructure quality and design

SAFE SPEED LIMITS FOR DIFFERENT ROAD TYPES
The Road-For-Life framework categorises road sections into 4 main types.
● Shared Roads: These are roads used by both vehicles and pedestrians, such as those in housing complexes, school properties, retirement villages, and gated communities. Because these roads have many vulnerable users, like pedestrians, their safety should be a top priority. The maximum safe speed limit for shared roads should be 10 km/h.
● Urban Human Activity Roads/City Hubs: These are roads in cities and towns where people live, work, and socialise. They have a high number of pedestrians moving around, such as roads near schools, residential neighbourhoods, transport hubs like bus stations, and areas with shops, markets, bars, and cafes. The suggested safe speed limit for these areas is 30 km/h. If higher speeds are needed, there should be separate paths for pedestrians and cyclists to ensure their safety.
● Urban Main Roads: roads that connect cities and towns to the greater transport network. These support the higher demand for moving goods and people. The suggested safe speed for these roads is 30-50 km/h. The higher speed of 50 km/h is only recommended if there are good pavements and fewer pedestrian crossings, ensuring that vulnerable road users are kept separate from traffic.
● Urban Link Roads: This includes roads such as highways which connect different districts and are primarily for the movement of goods and people. These roads feature no pedestrians and cyclists. They also alleviate the need for traffic to move through other road types where there are a higher number of vulnerable road users. The safe maximum speed for Urban Link roads should be set to 60-70 km/h. If pedestrians and cyclists are explicitly prohibited from using a section of this road type, the maximum speed could be increased to 80 km/h.

ROADS DESIGNED WITH SAFETY AS A PRIORITY
In addition to the Roads-For-Life framework, other studies such as Cities Safer by Design and WHO’s Sustainable Cities (a study we have previously referenced) also suggest that road safety should be a key part of road design.
Cities Safer By Design recommends the following design elements:
● Urban design that includes smaller block sizes, frequent street connections, narrower streets, and access to destinations in compact urban environments that alleviate the need for vehicle travel;
● Traffic calming measures such as speed humps, chicanes, curb extensions, raised pedestrian crossings and other elements;
● Arterials and intersections that reduce conflicts between road users by providing clear crossings, medians and refuge islands;
● Pedestrian facilities ranging from pedestrian-only areas to basic, consistent sidewalks;
● Bicycling networks that feature protected bicycle lanes and special attention to design at intersections; and
● Safety improvements around mass transport stations and corridors.

While all these proposed changes would be nice in a perfect world, it could take years, possibly decades, for them to become the standard, especially in low- to middle-income countries. Until then, we can only hope that personal responsibility and legislation improves to protect the lives of all road users.

THE COST OF SPEEDING
As mentioned, speeding is usually a self-motivated choice that affects more than just the driver. The costs of speeding are significant and cannot be ignored.
There is a sentiment that lowering the speed of traffic could hurt the economy. But, in 2023 it was reported that car crashes have cost South Africa R1-trillion in the past 7 years. Since speeding is a major cause of crashes, reducing speeding could actually benefit the economy by reducing the number of accidents.
On a more personal level, the cost to the individual is also increased by speeding. Driving at higher speeds increases fuel consumption as well as the need for more frequent maintenance and replacement of tyres.
In the event of a crash, insurance companies may reject a claim if they feel that reasonable precaution while driving was not observed. If you have received multiple fines for speeding, the rejection of a claim for a crash may become more likely if your driving record indicates a pattern of reckless behaviour.
Along with increased fuel consumption comes the ecological and health costs as well. Driving at high speeds increases CO2 emissions from vehicles. Also, roads designed mainly for vehicles can be less friendly to other road users. This often leads to more vehicles on the road, which in turn increases CO2 emissions.
Lower speeds and safer roads lead to cleaner air, healthier lifestyles by encouraging walking and cycling, and more vibrant, liveable communities.
Besides these benefits, the greatest cost of speeding is the loss of lives. Road-related incidents are a major cause of death among young people and children, with speeding being a significant factor.
Speeding has a huge impact on road safety and the costs associated with it are high. It is important that we change our attitudes about speeding as well as building road safety into the world around us. The lives of the most vulnerable people in our communities depend on it.

THE HIGH IMPACT OF SPEED IN CAR CRASHES Read More »

Award Winning Stories on Surviving School Transport.

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Award Winning Stories on Surviving School Transport

lsu Elihle Awards Winner 2018 awarded by Media Monitoring Africa to Jamaine Krige who did a series of stories on surviving school transport.

“To give an idea of how powerful these things are. In the first episode we hear the stories of eight young people and their dreams of what they would like to become. It emerges as the story goes on that these are the numbers of children that die on our roads every single day. Its talking about school transport,” adds William Bird, Media Monitoring Africa.

LISTEN BELOW TO KRIGE’s SERIES:

Award Winning Stories on Surviving School Transport. Read More »

IS SCHOOL TRANSPORT KILLING OUR CHILDREN?

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IS SCHOOL TRANSPORT KILLING OUR CHILDREN?

Youth Month is an appropriate time to reflect on the way South Africa works to keep its children safe. History should always teach us to do better, especially regarding our children. When it comes to education, many barriers exist for many children in South Africa. Unfortunately, safety and school transport are among them.

 

To ensure the safety of child passengers, Wheel Well is focused on road safety for children. But, the regulations surrounding school transport in South Africa are unclear. This makes it challenging to guarantee the safety of school children. We need to discuss these regulations and address the existing gaps.

CHILD SAFETY ON SOUTH AFRICAN ROADS

 

According to Child Gauge 2019, a publication released by the University of Cape Town, South Africa has a high rate of child injury deaths. In high-income countries, the global annual child-injury mortality rate is 8.6 per 100,00. By comparison, in South Africa, the rate is 38.9 per 100,000 for children 19 years and younger. Of these, 36% are the result of road traffic injuries. That means that it is the leading cause of child mortality in South Africa. Children aged 6-12 years are particularly vulnerable on our roads, as passengers and pedestrians.

 

The publication found that 68% of South African learners walk to school and that one in five pedestrian deaths are children under the age of 15 years.

 

THE BLACKHEATH TRAIN CRASH

 

An historical tragedy that should be a call for change, occurred in 2010 when the Blackheath train incident shook the nation. A minibus carrying school children cut in front of other vehicles and drove in front of a train. Ten children were killed in this horrific crash which scarred the community. The driver was found guilty of 10 counts of murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison. However, his sentence was reduced to 8 years. While the driver may have been held accountable to some extent, this was a preventable tragedy. The lives of ten families and their communities remain irreparably changed.

 

A proposed bridge was planned to improve the safety of this crossing following the deaths of these children. Unfortunately, the bridge failed to materialise. In 2018, another crash involving a bakkie driving in front of a train killed 5 people. Two crashes at the same crossing show an attitude of apathy when it comes to changes for road safety.

 

In tragedies like these, the reason of “human error” falls flat, however, if we view the circumstances that allow for this excuse to surface, the question arises “How do we prevent this?”.

 

REGULATION 231

 

Before we look at the factors that would improve the safety of school children on our roads, we need to talk about Regulation 231 of the National Traffic Act, 1996. It states:

 

  1. Manner in which children to be counted for purposes of regulations

1) For the purposes of establishing the number of persons that may in terms of these regulations,

other than regulation 263, be carried on any vehicle, other than a motorcycle, motor tricycle,

motor quadricycle or pedal cycle –

  1. a) any child under the age of three years shall not be counted;
  2. b) two children of three years or over but under the age of six years shall be counted as one

person; and

  1. c) three children of six years or over but under the age of 13 years shall be counted as two persons:

Provided that in applying the provisions of this regulation, fractions shall be disregarded.

 

When loading a vehicle, the total mass of passengers is considered. This logic determines that because children are smaller than adults, 2-3 children (depending on age group) makeup one adult when counting the allowed number of passengers for that vehicle.

 

Child safety becomes a concern when following this logic. Counting many children as single people ignores the fact that most vehicles do not safely cater for this. For example, this means that there are not enough restraints in a vehicle to cater to every child.

 

Overloaded vehicles already pose a huge safety risk for all its occupants. This issue is compounded when children are not counted as a single person but rather several. Cape Talk spoke to the father of a 7-year-old boy, Liyabonga Mbaba, who had died by decapitation in a crash involving an overloaded taxi. The harrowing interview can be heard here, although we would like to add a trigger warning for the graphic description of the crash.

 

THE NEED FOR SAFE SCHOOL TRANSPORT

 

There is a great need for safe and reliable school transport for children in South Africa. With the majority of children having to walk to school, they are already vulnerable to many risks. A great number also rely on public transport to receive their education. Without standardised and enforced school transport regulations, children who rely on these services are at the highest risk of injury and death.

 

The Department of Transportation has attempted to address this problem in their National Learner Transport 2015, which was revised in March 2023. Yet, while this policy addresses some of the challenges of school transport, there is not enough being done. Underfunding is one of their stated reasons for this.

 

As a nation, this should be a priority for ourselves as taxpayers. We are stakeholders in the future of our children, especially regarding their education and safety. Children should not have to risk dying to receive their education.

 

WHAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED

 

Several factors need to be improved. Firstly, Regulation 231 needs to be updated to count every child in a vehicle, regardless of age, as one person. This would aid in catering to the safety requirements of every person in a vehicle.

 

Every school district should have a subsidised school transport program that caters to the safety of children. This is especially necessary for schools that have a high number of children who walk to school.

Vehicles utilised should have child safety in mind. In the United States of America, the yellow school bus is a widely recognised vehicle, even throughout the rest of the world. Transporting 26 million children each year, school buses are the largest mode of public transport in the US. With their high visibility, large size, lower centre of gravity and strong rules for navigating the roads around them, fatal crashes involving school buses are incredibly rare. We know it may be unrealistic to compare the experiences of high- and low-income countries. However, this shows that the use of vehicles designed to carry children can reduce the risk of child fatalities. We also need clearer regulations on what determines a vehicle fit for carrying school children.

 

When we send our children to school, we entrust their safety to other adults. Any person tasked with transporting children must have specific permits and training to do so. Training should centre around the care of children. First-aid certification should also be mandatory. Drivers should also be vetted to ensure that they have no prior record of harm against children.

 

Safe school transport can play a huge role in ensuring that fewer children die from preventable road fatalities. However, those with the power to enact changes that would save children from the largest cause of death in our country, do not seem rushed to do so. Especially considering the severity of this problem. Having a standardised and enforced national school transport policy will help in the assignment of roles and accountability for school transport. It will also set safety standards to which all parties must comply with.

 

Parents can also appeal to their school governing board, headmaster and local metro police. These different entities must work together to ensure learners’ safety to and from school.

For child pedestrians, schools can organise a Walking Bus program. This involves community volunteers walking children in a group to and from school. This helps to ensure they are safe and more visible to road users.

 

Let’s put the pressure on the Departments of Education and Transport, as well as our schools so that history does not keep repeating itself with more preventable deaths of our kids.

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