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.