As South Africans prepare for the festive season, road trips, family gatherings and summer holidays, one critical issue demands attention: the alarming rise in road accidents.
The excitement of holiday homes, long drives and festive cheer often leads to a dangerous oversight: road safety.
With October being Transport Month and a rise in road accidents during the last quarter of the year, it’s time to shine a light on this continuing issue that claims thousands of lives annually.
Road accidents are a heartbreaking reality in South Africa, and the statistics paint a grim picture, especially for children.
The African Brain Child (ABC) research group in Paediatric Neurosurgery at the University of Cape Town found that Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital sees around 2,000 children with head injuries every year.
Shockingly, road accidents account for nearly 80% of these severe injuries. These numbers tell a tragic story but they also give us a roadmap for action.
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are often referred to as the “silent killer” due to their long-term impact on children. ABC research revealed that of the children admitted after a severe TBI from road accidents, 96% were not wearing seatbelts.
The failure to use seatbelts or proper car safety seats is a preventable oversight, yet one that continues to put young lives at risk.
Professor Anthony Figaji, Director of African Brain Child and a leading neurosurgeon, has seen first-hand the devastating effects of road accidents on children.
“We have seen the human cost of motor vehicle accidents and TBIs in children we have not been able to save,” he said.
“We have also seen those we have been able to save, but whose lives have been permanently impacted by injury that is readily preventable with the click of a seatbelt.”
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