The year 2020 will be remembered for many things – a time in which a pandemic took many lives and had a catastrophic effect on the economy too. There is a lot to be gloomy about but these days I’m choosing to read the hopeful stories. Stories where people have gone out of their way to make a difference. Ordinary people have seen the gap and helped those in need. One such company who wants to make a difference not only to car safety but to cash strapped South Africans, is Supa Quick. This well known tire company have partnered with an organisation called Wheel Well so that old car seats can be repurposed for another family in need.
Wheel Well has their offices in Fontainebleau, Johannesburg and it’s actually not very far from where I used to live. The beauty of this campaign is that you don’t have to schlepp your car seat all the way there. All you have to do is go past your local Supa Quick – which has over 200 outlets all over the country.
Sometimes we do feel overwhelmed when we see another car going along without their kids strapped in. A shocking 93% of children are not strapped in properly when travelling in a car even though if your child is under three, you are legally required to put them in a car seat. South African roads are a dangerous place and it’s best to buckle up.
Why are car seats so important for children? Can’t I just hold my child on my lap or use a normal seat belt?
No. And here is why:
Using a normal seat belt:
These seat belts are designed for adults. If you look at a child in an adult seat belt you will see that the strap will run across their face and neck (instead of their shoulder, because they are shorter) and the belt part goes across their abdomen instead of their hips. Researchers for the Medical Journal of Australia found that children were three times more likely to be injured than adults because of only using this seat belt.
Carrying your child on your lap:
This is very dangerous, and the faster you are driving, the greater the force will be exerted by your child’s body as it is flung around during a crash. If you are driving at 30 km per hour a 6kg baby will have a force of 180 kg, which is like holding a gorilla.
So before you throw that car seat away, because your child no longer needs it, pop down to your nearest Supa Quick to hand it in.
You can’t save every child on our roads. But you can make a difference with your old car seat for just one child.
To see your closest SupaQuick go here: https://www.supaquick.com/tyre-dealers-fitment-centres
To find out more about Wheel Well go here: https://www.wheelwell.org.za/
Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Supa Quick.
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