Parents who don't safely buckle up their children are putting lives at risk: AA

Many South African parents do not properly restrain their older children because they are either too big for car seats or too small for adult-sized seatbelts.

A quarter of motorists who took part in the Automobile Association's (AA's) latest child safety seat survey admitted to not restraining children under 12 at all while driving.

"Older children who have outgrown their child restraint seats but who are still too small for adult-sized seat belts still need to be properly secured while travelling.

"Recent research suggests this isn't happening," the AA said.

Children – whether in the front or back – must be restrained while driving to ensure proper safety. Study after study has shown that children who aren't properly restrained and who are involved in crashes – even at slow speeds – have more chance of being seriously injured or killed, says the AA.

The association found that many parents or guardians do not restrain children when they are too big for baby car seats, and too small for adult-sized seatbelts.

"In this case drivers must look for booster seats or other restraining devices which are easily available and which cater for older or bigger children.

"People overestimate their abilities which, in the end, doesn't determine whether they are involved in a crash or not. Many good drivers are the victims of other people's reckless behaviour and precisely for this reason every precaution must be taken to ensure everyone's safety," it added.

The law requires children up to the age of three to be harnessed securely in an approved child restraint when travelling in a car.

"A 10kg child who is involved in a crash at 60km/h will weigh 600kgs at the moment of impact. At this weight, no one is going to prevent that child from slamming through the front windshield," said the AA.