Argumentative Essay On Seatbelts

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CHILDREN AND SEAT BELTS The responsibility of keeping children safe while riding in any vehicle solely goes to the parents. This includes making children wear their seatbelts properly and keeping them in their car seats or booster seats at all time. THE PROBLEM OF SECURING CHILD PASSENGERS It is a well known that fact seat belts have saved more lives and prevented more injuries than any other safety device ever installed in cars. Unfortunately it is also known and acknowledge that the standard SABS (South African Bureau of Standards) approved seat belts are COMPLETELY UNSUITABLE FOR CHILDREN. Figure 1 : Unsuitable Figure 2: Suitable The only reason for this is because seatbelts are designed for adults and not for children. Meaning that the seatbelts will be too big …show more content…

• In SA it is compulsory that once a child has outgrown or graduated out of the baby safety seat it is compulsory that they are strapped using the standard fitted (adult) restraints /seat belts. CHOOSING THE CORRECT CHILD RESTRAINTS, BABY SEATS OR BOOSTER SEATS These different restraints are used according to the child’s weight and height. Hence the different types of restraints. Older children, usually around 14 years or 1.5m in height, can start wearing the three point lap and diagonal seat belt, unless it does not fit the child properly yet. In using these restraints the parents must be sure that they use the most appropriate restraint for the child’s size and age. Only moving on to the next restraint category when he or she no longer fits in the current one, for example:  Infant: Birth – 1

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