There's a killer on the road

More than a year after car safety seats for children became compulsory, South Africans continue to put their young ones at risk.

The Automobile Association says random spot checks of 120 vehicles recently revealed that drivers' adherence to the law, introduced in April last year, was "worryingly low".

An amendment to the National Road Traffic Act made it illegal for a child under three to sit on a lap, stand or sit unrestrained while travelling in a car.

Drivers who break the law face a fine of R500.

"The AA found that in many instances children are sitting in the front passenger seat without a seatbelt, standing in the car while it's moving, or not in an age- weight- and height-appropriate car seat," said Layton Beard, an AA spokesman.

He said the AA frequently received complaints from motorists about infringements of the new safety seat law.

The Road Traffic Management Corporation admitted yesterday that "compliance with the rules of the road, including child restraints, is a challenge".

"It is a matter of grave concern that many parents seem to be very casual about the safety of their children in cars," said corporation spokesman Simon Zwane.

Arrive Alive spokesman Johan Jonck said that although "more parents are aware of this legislation, and are feeling the eyes of the public on them, it is a matter of poor road behaviour, as well as bad parenting".

"A major area of concern is passengers [including children older than three years] sitting on the back seat and not wearing seatbelts," he said.

According to the Medical Research Council, road crashes are the leading cause of injury and death of children under the age of five in South Africa.

Research by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in the US found that strapping infants and toddlers, aged one to four, into safety seats greatly reduced the risk of death in a car crash - by 71% to 54%.

Peggy Mars, founder of non-profit organisation Wheel Well, which refurbishes donated seats and gives them to parents for an "affordable donation", said: "The level of ignorance is shocking. Compliance is better for babies, but as children get older, there seems to be disregard for the law.

"The other big problem is affordability. We are living in hard times. Most parents I deal with can't afford to pay R1200 for a very basic child seat.

"Wheel Well is not getting that many seats any more because people are trying to sell them online to recoup money."

The average cost of a new car seat for children under the age of one is about R600, R1000 for a toddler and R900 for a booster seat for older children.

"We are a nation of very contrary people. From my interactions with parents , many of them don't know about the legislation.

"Others believe their kids are strong enough without a child seat. This is extremely dangerous," Mars said.