Latest results show urgent need to address child restraint use

To the Editor: Road traffic crashes are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children in South Africa (SA), and are preventable through implementing a systems approach to address the causes. Proper education, child passenger legislation and enforcement of the law are priority actions. It...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:South African medical journal 2019-02, Vol.109 (2), p.66-66
Main Authors: Hunter, Kate, Clay, Carson, Peden, Margaret, Van As, A.B. Sebastian
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:To the Editor: Road traffic crashes are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children in South Africa (SA), and are preventable through implementing a systems approach to address the causes. Proper education, child passenger legislation and enforcement of the law are priority actions. It is well known that properly employed seatbelts and child restraints reduce the risk of serious injury and death to children. However, despite campaigns such as ‘Arrive Alive’ to increase the use of child restraints, a 2008 observational study conducted by Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital (RCWMH) in Cape Town, SA, found that a majority of adults and children entering the hospital gates did not use such restraints. It is possible that this was because there was no appropriate child restraint law.
ISSN:0256-9574
2078-5135
DOI:10.7196/SAMJ.2019.v109i2.13831