Saturday, 26 October 2024, in a drive to raise awareness on the safety of children in vehicles during this transport month, Supa Quick, in partnership with Wheel Well and the African Brain Child Initiative, distributed 100 refurbished car seats to beneficiaries at our Constantia branch in Cape Town.
The improper use of car seats and failure to ensure children wear safety belts are among the biggest causes of traumatic brain injuries in South African children. While some drivers with children in their vehicles may not be too strict when it comes to car seats and safety belts, the consequences of a car accident can leave permanent, regrettable scars.
Wheel Well, a non-profit dedicated to improving child safety on the country’s roads, collects used children’s car seats from generous donors and distributes them to families who cannot afford them.
The African Brain Child Initiative is a clinical and research initiative based in the Paediatric Neurosurgery Unit at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and the University of Cape Town’s Neuroscience Institute. It is behind “Be Quick To Click Seat Drive 2024”, an awareness campaign that educates South Africans on the safety of always wearing your seatbelt while driving a motor vehicle.
Yolandi Grundeling, Supa Quick’s Brand Manager, said: As a brand dedicated to road safety across South Africa, we are concerned by the number of children admitted to hospitals with head injuries. While some progress has been made, this remains an issue we cannot ignore, especially with schools closing soon and the holiday season approaching.
According to the African Brain Child Initiative, hospitals across South Africa see more than 2,000 children aged 0 to 12 with head injuries each year. Of these, 80% of severe head injuries result from road accidents. Furthermore, statistics show that 96% of children admitted with severe traumatic brain injuries were not wearing safety belts.
Peggie Mars, founder of Wheel Well, said: “We must never tire of reinforcing road safety messages, especially when it comes to protecting our children. Drivers can set a better example, knowing that children imitate their behaviour. If, as an adult, you choose not to wear a seatbelt, the children in your car are likely to follow suit. We need to do better. With this initiative that we are doing with Supa Quick, we are hopeful that adults would heed the call that, yes, we do have high incidences of road fatalities affecting our children. Still, we also need to admit that most of these could be avoided”
The drive for public education concerning road safety and responsible driving across the country must be done in the hands of the government and be done only during busy holiday seasons.
“We must do more to protect our children. We’re strongly committed to initiatives prioritising their safety, which is why partnerships with organisations like Wheel Well and the African Brain Child Initiative are critical. Together, we aim to encourage more drivers to use car seats and ensure children are always safely buckled in.,” further said Grundeling.
Across South Africa, over 190 Supa Quick fitment centres will continue collecting car seats to donate to families in need.
Grundeling concluded: “This initiative requires all our support, especially from parents and guardians. We must prioritise our children—if we don’t, who will? It’s about taking responsibility for their safety and the safety of all children on our roads. We urge parents to donate unused car seats at Supa Quick to help ensure every child has the protection they need.”
