Wheel Well, the non-profit organisation dedicated to road safety for children in South Africa, collected 24 car seats donated by the Fourways community at the Supa Quick fitment centre in Fourways.Wheel Well founder Peggie Mars was on hand to educate parents who had come to receive car seats on how to install them properly, as well as the importance to use a car seat every time.
“The problem we contend with, in South Africa, is the very low usage of car seats in South Africa, which is estimated to be shockingly below 10% of all children transported in private cars,” Mars says. “We are even seeing some parents who own car seats only using them occasionally, which we want to rectify through awareness of the risks.
“We urge parents to strap their children in every time they get into the car. The law requires children under 3 years old to be restrained, but we encourage parents that if their children are under 1.5 metres, they should at the very least have a booster seat. Car seats can reduce serious injury substantially,” she says.
Also in attendance at the collection drive were representatives of the online parenting portal BabyYumYum, along with their mascot Banjo the Bear, who entertained the kids and handed out goodie bags to parents who attended.
Leading tyre brand Bridgestone gave out boerewors rolls to people who attended the event, while Brake system brand ATE and battery brand Willard also offered their support, with an assortment of giveaways.In 2020, Wheel Well partnered with Supa Quick nationwide to create drop-off points for used children’s car seats to support parents who desperately need car seats for their children but cannot afford them new.
Parents who have used car seats can drop them off at any local Supa Quick, then Wheel Well collects, restore, check the seats for safety, and cleans them so they can be offered to parents in need.
“Partnering with passionate partners to assist in reducing potential serious injury to children on South African roads is very close to our hearts,” says Supa Quick brand manager, Yolandi Grundeling. “As Supa Quick evolves to be more than tyre experts, safety on the country’s roads, especially that of vulnerable children, is a critical priority.”
Please continue to donate used car seats at any Supa Quick and be on the lookout for more collection drives in your area. For enquiries, interested individuals may contact Peggie Mars at Wheel Well at tel: 072 385 7121 or email her peggie@wheelwell.org.za
