When campaigning for better road safety, it is imperative that we use the correct words to achieve our goals. One big topic of discussion is using the word “crash” instead of “accident.” If you have read our articles or social media posts, you may have noticed that we never use the word “accident.”

In this article, we want to explore the reasons behind this deliberate choice of wording, the implications, and the appropriateness of one over the other. We also want to look at some other commonly used terms and phrases that are harmful when talking about road safety.

WHY NOT “ACCIDENT”? 

Calling a crash a “car accident” is a social norm. As the writer of these articles, it was a phrase I had to train myself out of using because it was so ingrained. But that begs the question: if we all use the term, how is it wrong?

The Oxford Dictionary defines an accident as “something that happens by chance and without an obvious cause”.

When we examine a crash, there are almost always identifiable factors that caused it. When so many people lose their lives on the road or are left with life-changing injuries, we should always strive for the improvement of road safety. While no one plans to be involved in a car crash, crashes are preventable.

There will always be a case of if something had been different, the crash would not have happened. A drunk person should have called a cab. A child should have worn a seatbelt. The tyres could have been replaced sooner. Fewer passengers should have been allowed in the vehicle. The bus driver should have been properly vetted. The driver should have stopped to sleep. The road should have had better lighting.

To affect change and save lives, we need to acknowledge that crashes are preventable. They do not happen by random chance to someone unlucky that day. If we want to view them happening through a lens of “chance”, then it should be understood that the factors that increase and decrease the likelihood of that chance are variables. Variables can be changed.

WHY DO WE CALL IT AN ACCIDENT THEN? 

Losing someone to a car crash is devastating. It feels as though someone was taken away from you in an instant. Even if you have not experienced this loss personally, we all empathise with the loss when we hear about it, especially when it comes to children. It feels unfair.

Often we turn to questioning the universe or God as to why this happened, not to explore the actual mechanisms of what went wrong, but to make sense of a tragedy.

When talking to someone who is grieving a loss, we often use phrases like “It was God’s plan”, “Everything happens for a reason”, and “It was his time to go”. These phrases can provide comfort. They allude to a greater plan, rather than a senseless loss. When someone is coming to terms with loss, it is not an appropriate time to tell them that their loved one’s death was preventable or the result of someone’s actions. For a lot of people, calling it an “accident” is easier to accept on a personal level. 

But on the other side of the coin, for some families who want justice, calling these deaths an accident when their loved one has died on account of another careless or irresponsible driver is aggravating.

Knocking over a glass of milk is an accident, but the preventable death of a person should not be spoken about similarly.

THE BIGGER PROBLEM 

To see a positive change in road safety, we have to hold people or governments accountable for factors that increase the dangers on our roads.

It angers us to read about yet another taxi full of school children involved in a horrific crash. It is disrespectful to the lives lost to chalk these crashes down to an “accident” when there is so much that could be done to save young lives. Road-related injuries are the leading cause of death in children aged 5-19 years old. This is a crisis. Yet not nearly enough is being done to mitigate the dangers to our children.

When we write off a crash as an accident, we are inadvertently saying that it is something that “just happens”. It suggests that it was an unintentional event, yet the causes that lead to the outcome are very often intentional disregard for safety. Child fatalities in road-related incidents are studied and analyzed almost more than any other childhood disease. We know that more often than not it is preventable.

To offer a different perspective: should you be involved in a collision, the language used when reporting the incident or submitting an insurance claim can greatly affect the legal and financial outcomes. If described as an “accident”, this suggests no fault. If described as a “crash” or “collision” this implies there is fault which can greatly influence liability and insurance claims.

This distinction of different terminology carries weight in many areas. In other words, words have meaning and nuance, and the difference matters.

“HUMAN ERROR” 

A few months ago, when writing about a taxi of school children driving in front of a train, a quote stood out to me – one I still think about often. “It was down to stupid human error”.  Human error. “People make mistakes” is an appropriate thing to tell a child when they knock over a glass of juice, but the same sentiment applied to a driver whose reckless driving cost ten children their lives is obscene. 

Often when “human error” is mentioned, it is framed as if it is a reason for a crash. But much like “accident”, it also comes across as “one of those things that just happens”. It certainly feels like it absolves some of the blame.

“ACT OF GOD” 

Framing a crash as an “Act of God” has some more serious implications. Some may understand the sentiment similar to “part of God’s plan”, but the term “Act of God” carries legal weight.

Often used to describe events that are not a result of human action such as natural disasters or extreme weather. In these events, a person cannot legally be held liable for death, injury or damage. “Act of God” is appropriate to the aftermath of a flood, but not a collision as a result of reckless driving.

“THE VEHICLE LOST CONTROL” 

Often when crashes are reported in the news, the phrase “the vehicle lost control” is not uncommon. This has a few problems. Firstly, “the driver lost control of the vehicle” is the correct phrase. Vehicles are under the control of a driver, not the other way around. There are of course situations in which the driver is more likely to lose control of a vehicle, such as on account of adverse weather conditions. However, there are also situations in which the loss of control is preventable or at least could have been minimised.

Losing control of a vehicle can also be on account of poor and irregular maintenance, overloading of vehicles and dangerous driving. When it is stated that “the vehicle lost control” accountability is directed away from the driver.

To a lot of people, this article may seem like a case of nitpicking semantics. However, the words used to describe road incidents can have real-life impacts or consequences. In some countries, advocacy groups, safety officials and public health officials have even gone as far as to try to ban the use of words like “accident” in media reporting. On a topic as serious as road safety, it is crucially important that terminology is appropriate and correct, both legally, and socially and to create change for the better.

REMOTELY AT RISK: ROAD SAFETY & RURAL CHILDREN

Children are vulnerable on our roads, but this is especially true for the rural child. In rural communities, there are fewer resources to create safer streets for children. As a result, low-income rural communities and their children are often forgotten when it comes to road safety.

In South Africa, 68% of schoolchildren walk to school. In rural areas, some children can walk as much as 3 hours per day. It is unjust that this is the length some of our children go through to get an education. In South Africa, education is often thought of as the solution to poverty, and there is credit to that. But for many children, especially those in rural areas, poverty itself is a barrier to education. Children cannot reliably and safely get to school.

To make roads safer for rural children, a combination of policy changes, infrastructure development, community participation, and education is essential.

UNDERSTANDING THE ROAD SAFETY RISKS FOR RURAL CHILDREN

Due to the remote and sparsely populated nature of rural areas, less resources are available to families. As a result, if there is only one school in an area, children must travel the distance to reach it, regardless of the distance.

In low-income communities, very few families have vehicles. Families need to rely on public transport or their children have to walk to school. Schools in low-income rural areas often face many financial restraints. A school bus is a necessity far beyond their means. Taxi services may provide transport for school children, but the lack of regulations around this means that it is not also without risk.
For child pedestrians, there are already many safety risks.
Children often walk to school without supervision. This means that they are responsible for their safety. As a result, they are vulnerable to bullying, abduction, sexual assault, injury or death. In rural areas, children may have to walk along poor roads, without pavements or pedestrian crossings. Many have to navigate crossing highways by themselves. Children are susceptible to being hit by a vehicle as they are less visible to drivers and lack good road awareness to always make correct judgements.

Rural areas may also lack enforcement of road safety laws which exacerbates the risks to children.

THE URGENT NEED FOR SAFER SCHOOL TRANSPORT

We have talked about the need for safe school transport in articles before. 36% of child fatalities up to the age of 19 years old are due to road-related incidents.
Many children have no other means of transport aside from taxis, or else walking. A school transport system would provide children who would otherwise be pedestrians a much safer way of getting to school. But, the current tragedies involving overcrowded taxis and unsafe drivers must be overcome first. Regulations around school transport vehicles must be improved to place the safety of our children at the forefront.
Schools do not only provide children with basic education. For those from low-income families who face socio-economic difficulties, a school can be a sanctuary. They can provide meals, basic healthcare, social resources and education, and offer extra-curricular activities to enrich children. Children who are unable to attend school are not only cut off from an education that can aid them in finding a sustainable future. They miss out on the other services and roles schools provide to kids. This makes safe and reliable school transport even more crucial.

ROAD SAFETY EDUCATION SAVES LIVES

Road-related incidents are the greatest cause of child fatalities. Thus, road safety education should be a mandatory part of school curriculums. This is especially true in rural communities where there may be a lower level of education. These families might not be equipped to teach road safety rules to their children.

When taught road safety in a way that is age-appropriate and engaging, children are enthusiastic to learn. Road safety for children should reflect their daily experiences. Arrive Alive stresses the importance of teaching children proper road-crossing techniques. This includes encouraging them to walk facing oncoming traffic, looking right and left before crossing and ensuring adult supervision in high-risk areas to prevent injuries or death.

EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES THROUGH AWARENESS

Children tend to reflect the general road safety behaviours, or lack thereof, of their community. This suggests that education on road safety cannot be the sole responsibility of schools. Rather, encouragement and awareness of road safety should include the greater community.

A paper on road safety education for children finds that although children may understand road safety rules in a classroom setting, they are far more likely to exhibit behaviours they see outside the classroom.
This could be an opportunity to involve your community to improve road safety for children and parents alike. Organising student walking patrols, having parents help children at road crossings and getting them involved in the discussion of school taxis will aid in improving safety.

We have previously spoken about our Halo Beanies project, which provides hi-visibility beanies for child pedestrians. We would love to get in touch with rural communities who wish to band together to knit beanies for their children.

Trying to change attitudes that seem ingrained in a community can be hard. Most of these problems may be larger than most people feel they have the power to fix. But change begins at home. If you do not feel like you have the power to change the country, then consider what you can do to change your town or even your neighbourhood. Please reach out to us to provide you with educational resources to help your community.

DEVELOPING INFRASTRUCTURE FOR SAFER ROADS

Rural areas see less road maintenance and are often left to decay. Roads that are not maintained become a danger to everyone, especially children.
In rural areas, it is common to see children playing together in the streets. Playing and walking around roads is very unsafe for children. They lack the same awareness of the roads as adults do. Playing distracts them from danger. They may not have learnt about road safety, and are not easily visible to drivers.
If children are expected to use the roads, we should ensure that roads are safer for them to use. This includes pavements, pedestrian crossings, and traffic-calming measures like speed bumps. Children are also least visible at dusk and dawn, therefore streetlights can enhance their visibility to drivers.

GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY

Our government needs to facilitate change by coordinating efforts between the Departments of Education and Transport, law enforcement and NPOs. Resources and policies must reflect a “child safety first” attitude.

A lot of road safety challenges are a systemic problem and require a comprehensive and multi-faceted effort to affect change. Greater investment should be directed towards road safety for rural children. The lack thereof has the greatest impact on a rural child’s daily experience.

To protect South Africa’s rural children, road safety must be prioritised. We need better infrastructure, stricter transport regulations, widespread education, and stronger policies. These interventions will reduce child pedestrian fatalities and make school commutes safer. Creating a secure travel environment for children is a fundamental responsibility that requires urgent and sustained action.

In South Africa, overloaded vehicles are a common sight on our roads.

It could almost be an emblem of road safety in developing countries. We have touched on overloaded vehicles in terms of school transport, but let’s dive deep into this weighty issue.

A few years ago, a video circulated of a minibus taxi. It was bursting with passengers, luggage stacked high on the roof and an entire living cow loaded in the boot. All while a man clung to the outside rear of the vehicle. Video proof here. While this does not specify where in Africa this took place, it does not seem to be South Africa. But we have all seen enough instances of overloading that it would not surprise us if it was.

This example takes it to the extreme, but it does not take a cow to push the loading weight of a vehicle over its limits. It may surprise you to know where the limits lie. Beyond being a gross violation of road safety, overloading also impacts vehicle maintenance, road infrastructure, and public safety.

WHAT IS OVERLOADING?

It’s time to get a little bit technical. Vehicles have a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating which is the maximum weight limit of the vehicle up to which it can be safely operated. This includes the vehicle, fuel, passengers and cargo. The load/payload capacity of a vehicle specifically refers to the weight of passengers and cargo. Load capacity is determined by the difference of the Gross Vehicle Mass minus the weight of the vehicle and all the parts, fluids, fuel and so on that are required for its operations..

An important aspect of child road safety that starts at home: driveway danger and reversing cars.

As the new year begins and everyone settles back into their work and school routines, we want to highlight an important aspect of child road safety that starts at home: the risks posed by driveways and reversing vehicles.

In the US, 50 children are injured by reversing vehicles, and of this number, 2 are fatal. In 70% of cases, the driver is a parent or relative. There are few statistics for this in South Africa, but given that we have some of the most dangerous roads for children, one can assume reversing vehicles poses as much, if not more of a risk for our children.

These driveway tragedies predominantly happen to children under 5 years old, with 1-year-olds being the primary victims. 

STORIES TOO CLOSE TO HOME 

While actual statistics about reversing car fatalities in South Africa may be sparse, news stories are plenty to attest that reversing cars are a risk to our kids as well.

In 2021, a toddler was treated for serious injuries after his father reversed over him while backing his SUV out of the garage. While their mother prepared breakfast, he and his brother darted out of the house to say goodbye to their father.

“I immediately felt something was wrong and ran out. I saw him lying in the driveway. My husband said he felt he bumped something and immediately stopped. He didn’t drive over him. When he got out he saw him lying on the ground,” said Danelle Kerswell, his mother.

The article includes the eerie and heartbreaking detail that a little plastic bucket and spade lay next to the toddler.

While the Kerswell’s son may have survived the incident, a Graaf-Reinet mother faced charges of culpable homicide after she reversed over her 2-year-old toddler who died.

In 2015, a 1-year-old toddler in Constantia was also killed by a reversing vehicle in a driveway. In 2016, an 18-month-old child in Cato Ridge was also injured from a reversing vehicle in a driveway.

In an article by Highway Mail, an ER24 paramedic highlights that toddlers are the primary victims of reversing victims. He said, “All incidents involved toddlers. One incident involved a girl between 18 months and two years old. She sustained minor injuries. Another incident involved an 18-month-old boy who sustained a femur fracture, and unfortunately, there was nothing paramedics could do to save the child in the third incident.”  

WHY TODDLERS ARE HIGH RISK 

Young children, especially toddlers, are often the victims of reversing cars. They are at a higher risk due to the behaviours typical of their age and being less easily seen due to a vehicle’s blind spots.

• Toddlers have less environmental awareness. They are also less likely to notice and move out of the path of a reversing vehicle. If they are playing, they may be completely distracted from the oncoming danger.
• Toddlers are more likely to impulsively and spontaneously run into the path of a vehicle. They are also hindered physically – less coordinated, less balanced and have slower reactions. Toddlers who have just started walking tend to take off at a faster-than-expected pace with often little thought for their destination.
• Young children are already vulnerable in general when it comes to vehicles as their small size makes it hard to see around the body of a vehicle. When a car is reversing, the driver is blind to about 4-7 meters behind the vehicle. Sloped driveways leading up to a garage are very common in South Africa. These create even less visibility, having a narrow view while backing out of the garage itself.
• Children are also likely to follow a leaving person to their car, sometimes going unnoticed. Children may also run up to a vehicle to greet an arriving person without knowing the dangers of a moving car.
• Children, especially toddlers, have a higher chance of fatal injuries when knocked or driven over by a reversing vehicle. Even when not fatal, injuries are likely to be severe, resulting in brain damage or lifelong disability.

As adults, we must actively counter these factors to mitigate the risk to kids.

YOU CAN’T REVERSE TIME – AVOID THE RISK

 Many people become complacent in thinking “accidents” could never happen to them, but no one plans an accident. All it takes is a single moment of error to shatter your entire life. The risk should never be assumed to be 0%, but one can take steps to ensure the risk percentage is as low as possible.

Safety checks:

• When leaving the house, ensure the doors are closed behind you so that your child cannot follow you to the car.
• Before climbing into your vehicle, look behind and under the car.
• Keep your children in the car while you drive in or out.
• If another adult is with you, have them watch the back of the vehicle while you reverse, especially if you are reversing out of a garage.
• Set your GPS or take calls before you start your car. Avoid all distractions while driving, especially while reversing.
• When someone else is arriving or leaving your house, hold your child’s hand so they cannot dash into the path of a vehicle.
• Don’t solely rely on reverse sensors or rear cameras to show a clear path when reversing. These also have blindspots that can easily hide a small child.

Minimise the risk:

• Driveways should be inaccessible to children. If children can reach it from your garden or play area, fence it off.
• Teach your child that the driveway is a no-go zone. Allowing them to play in the driveway teaches them to become comfortable and unaware of an unsafe area. Toys should also never be left near or around the driveway.
• Teach your children to say goodbye or greet you at the door and not on the driveway.
• Open doors and gates yourself rather than teaching your small children how to open them. Young children having the ability to open doors before they learn how to navigate the world is dangerous in all aspects.

WHILE WE ARE ON THE TOPIC OF REVERSING CARS..

 Reversing cars is not only a risk to children in driveways. Anywhere where cars park is a potential danger.

Parking lots that have a high density of cars and pedestrians should also be treated with added caution. These could include malls, shopping centres, taxi ranks, schools and so on. Densely packed parking lots offer limited visibility to drivers and pedestrians. This US poll found that two-thirds of drivers are distracted while driving through parking lots. 50% of drivers admitted to texting, sending emails, using social media and setting the GPS while operating a vehicle in a parking lot.

When walking through a parking lot with your children:

• Firmly hold onto their hands while navigating a car park.
• Avoid walking behind the rear of a car where possible, making use of sidewalks.
• If walking behind a car is the only option, be vigilant of reversing cars.
• When you get to your car, secure your children inside first before loading your shopping.
• If you are loading or unloading multiple children, have your children stand with their hands on the vehicle until you are ready to go.
• Please do not allow children to run or play in the carpark and encourage them to look right and left before each crossing. To keep them from running around, try to have them stand in one place with their hands up in the air. For many small children, this sometimes will root them in place.
• Make use of pedestrian crossing areas.
• As a driver, reverse parking in a parking lot will allow you more visibility when you leave. Still, pull out of your parking spot carefully as small children may still be obscured by the height of your car.

Driveways and parking lots are spaces we navigate daily. They can become sites of unimaginable tragedy if proper precautions aren’t taken. The statistics and heartbreaking stories underscore the importance of vigilance. Especially when it comes to protecting our youngest and most vulnerable.

By adopting proactive safety measures—such as checking your surroundings, minimising distractions, and educating children about potential dangers—you can significantly reduce the risk of this happening to your child. Simple steps, like holding a child’s hand in a parking lot or securing driveway access at home, can make all the difference.

Ultimately, we all share the responsibility of ensuring our children’s safety around vehicles. A single moment of caution can prevent a lifetime of regret. Remember, you can’t reverse time, but you can reverse carefully and thoughtfully to protect the lives of those who matter most.

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.

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.

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.

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.