Have you checked the children?

At primary school the little ghouls would tell each other scary stories, and one was a variation of "Have you checked the children?" . You know how it goes, the babysitter is alone with the children sleeping upstairs, (so American), the phone rings and a scary voice asks, Have you checked the children?. This results in lots of checking on said children, loads of screaming, numerous scary phone calls and lekker skrik when it turns out the calls are coming from within the house. It's been the basis of many movies and fireside tales of terror.
The remake should revolve around highway signs and flashing billboards at every petrol station, have you checked your children are securely seated in your vehicle?
Even though there is a lot of information about the likelihood of injury to unrestrained children in the event of a car accident, it seems that many people still have not changed their behaviour. According to the Safe Kids worldwide website, 6500 children die each year in car accidents. Behaviour change is difficult to effect as warning messages don't seem to work. Criminalizing such behavior might work in less crime ridden societies, however we have bigger things to worry about then whether Mrs Smith is abusing her child by allowing her to stand on the front seat while shooting off to the shops, don't we. Or we can just see it as part of a general law avoiding mindset that South Africans seem to embrace, laws are for other people.
So for those drivers who are responsible about driving with their children in car seats, there's some good advice on how to use them properly at www.holidayresorts.co.za.
There is a risk of neck and spine injury if child car seats are used incorrectly. Since babies heads are heavy and their neck muscles as yet undeveloped, serious injury can be sustained if the child head rolls forward, or flops around. Safety tips include, using the correct booster seat for the age, size and weight of the child, and securing the seat at a 45 degree angle to ensure head support. Child car seats must be rear facing, in the back seat of the car, and airbags should be deactivated as they can kill small children. Another potential source of injury from an item designed to protect, is from the incorrect use of seatbelts. While the risk of serious injury or death is greater when not wearing a seatbelt at all, proper use is vital to avoid internal injuries. For small children it is important that securing straps are positioned correctly as close to the hips as possible and are not twisted or damaged in any way. Second hand car seats are out, as are any previously involved in accidents. Adult seat belts are also dangerous to small bodies, so a good quality safety approved booster seat, which is properly secured and tested is really the minimum. What is the point of buying cheap, when a childs life depends on the seats quality.