By insisting that a car seat is installed and ensuring that children are correctly buckled up, authorities may have unwittingly hit on a way to get drivers to make a positive behaviour change in terms of being more aware and conscious of safety on the road. This is the view of Willem Smith, MD of Hollard’s Personal Lines unit.
“Hollard wholeheartedly supports the legislation as the accident rates in South Africa are unacceptably high,” he says, considering that road traffic accidents are the leading cause of injury and deaths among under-fives in South Africa according to the Medical Research Council (MRC). Further, correctly installed child safety car seats used for children aged 0–4 years can reduce the risk of death by up to 70%, according to research conducted by Arrive Alive.
“The statistics should be enough to convince parents to ensure the safety of their children,” he adds, “But it will be imperative for traffic officials to ensure enforcement of the legislation to have a marked impact on fatalities.”
“We are also hopeful that the act of installing a car seat will remind drivers of the great responsibility that comes with driving a motor vehicle and that this will lead to safer driving and fewer accidents. Bearing in mind that the biggest part of a car insurance premium comes from the risk of accidental damage, this move by authorities, if enforced, may eventually even result in lower car insurance premiums”, concludes Smith.
