Heels & Horsepower Magazine

8 Frequently Asked Questions About Pregnancy Car Safety

Why is it important to wear a seat belt when I travel during pregnancy?

Although your fetus is protected inside your body, you should wear a lap and shoulder belt every time you travel while you are pregnant for the best protection, including in your final weeks of pregnancy. You and your fetus are much more likely to survive a car accident when you are buckled in.

How should I wear a seat belt while I am pregnant?

When wearing a seat belt, follow these rules:

  • Buckle the lap belt below your belly so that it fits snugly across your hips and pelvic bone.
  • Place the shoulder belt across your chest (between your breasts) and over the mid-portion of your collar bone (away from your neck).
  • Never place the shoulder belt under your arm or behind your back.
  • Pull any slack (looseness) out of the belt.
  • If you are in an accident, seek medical attention right away, even if you are not injured.

What should I know about air bags when I travel in a car?

Follow these tips if your car has air bags:

  • Keep 10 inches between the steering wheel and your breastbone.
  • If the car has an air bag “on/off” switch, check to be sure it is turned to “on.”
  • As your belly grows, you may not be able to keep as much space between you and the steering wheel. If the car has a tilt steering wheel, make sure it is angled toward your breastbone, not your belly or head.

If I am pregnant, when should I buy a car seat for my baby?

You cannot take your newborn home from the hospital without a car seat. Plan to have the car seat at least 3 weeks before your due date so you will have time to install it correctly and learn how to buckle the baby in safely.

Where should child car seats be installed in the car?

All car seats for children should be used in the back seat of the car—never in the front seat. Air bags in the front seat can cause serious injury to children. Until they reach age 13 years, children should always ride in the back seat.

What types of car seats are available for infants, toddlers, and school-aged children?j

  1. Rear-facing car seat—In a rear-facing car seat, the baby is turned to face the back windshield of the car. Infants and toddlers should ride in a rear-facing car seat until they are 2 years of age or until they reach the highest weight and height allowed by their car seat’s maker.
  2. Forward-facing car seat—A forward-facing car seat faces the front windshield of the car. Toddlers and preschoolers who have outgrown the height and weight limit of the rear-facing seat should use a forward-facing seat.
  3. Booster seat—A booster seat raises and positions your child so that the vehicle’s lap and shoulder belts fit properly. Your child should use a booster seat until the car seat belts fit properly. This usually occurs when the child is between the ages of 8 years and 12 years and is at least 4 feet 9 inches in height.

What should I keep in mind when choosing a car seat?

  • Know whether your car has the LATCH system. LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children. Instead of seat belts, special anchors hold the seat in place. If your car and car seat do not have the LATCH system, you will need to use seat belts to install the car seat.
  • Try locking and unlocking the buckle while you are in the store. Try changing the lengths of the straps.
  • Read the labels to find out the seat’s height and weight limits.

What should I know if I am considering buying a used car seat?

  • Do not buy a used car seat if you know it has been in a car crash. Also, used car seats may be missing parts or instructions.
  • Avoid a used car seat that looks old or worn or is missing labels with the model number and maker’s name. Keep in mind that car seats have expiration dates.
  • You can check the expiration date for any car seat on the maker’s web site.

9 Things We Seldom Think Of Doing When Buying A Car

By H&H Admin

Buying a car is an exciting time, but to ensure you don’t regret your purchase you’ll have to look beyond the shiny paintwork and glistening rims.

Although cars are produced en masse, finding one which suits your individual needs takes time and effort.  Some people want lots of legroom, others, luggage space and there are those whose highest preference is the latest technology and driver convenience. 

Here are a few other considerations to consider:

Safety features that are connected to reducing one’s insurance premiums, should be high on every car buyers’ list of priorities.   These include, airbags (the more the merrier), electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes, lane departure warning, blind-spot detection, forward and rear cameras, collision alert monitors and electronic stability control, to mention a few. 

  1. Ergonomics are critical for operating a vehicle with ease and comfort so when you get behind the wheel, make sure you can effortlessly reach the car’s primary controls.
  2. Open and close both the front and rear car doors to test their weight.  It is important that all family members including minors can enter and exit the car stress-free. Similarly, check the weight of the boot door.
  3. Make sure that items you use regularly fit in the car. These could include golf bags, strollers and car seats.  
  4. Sit in the rear seats and test leg and headroom.
  5. Ensure that the rear seats are comfortable, supportive and adjustable.  Also check if they fold down effortlessly, to increase the luggage space area.
  6. Check that the display screens are easy to read.
  7. Test that the pedals aren’t too soft or hard and that the steering wheel can easily be adjusted upwards, downwards, towards and away from you. 
  8. Satisfy yourself that your smartphone and other devices connect quickly and easily to the car’s Bluetooth system.
  9. Check that the car has a modern, or updated GPS which is easy to use.

Because a car is a long-term purchase it is well worth your time to assure yourself that you are as comfortable as you can be with your decision.  Once you’ve signed on the dotted line you are bonded to the vehicle for at least 60 months and that’s a long time to drive a car you are entirely happy with.  

Here’s how driving with unrestrained passengers could kill you

by Vuyi Mpofu

Every now and then, the effectiveness of seatbelts and child restrains comes under scrutiny, usually in the form of a tête-à-tête at a braai or similar social gathering.

Recently, I found myself reluctantly drawn into a spirited banter with a visitor from a European country about the use or non-use of restraints in South Africa.  Fortunately, it was within a social setting and the gentleman in question – a devotee of Ignition TV – was aware of my feisty personality, which helped take the sting out of most of my commentary, (I hope).

The discussion begun when he commented about the high rate of fatalities in South Africa but, took a sour turn when he proclaimed “seatbelts are not a thing in this country.  I retorted by saying that everyone I know uses seatbelts but deep down, I knew that my social circle was not represented in the broad statement he had made.

Being as passionate as I am about road safety and feeling rather patriotic it wasn’t long before we were trading thinly veiled verbal blows about road safety in South Africa; and the flexible standards of quality control when it comes to certain vehicles and tyres which are permitted into our country.

Seatbelts should be ‘a thing’ among all road users

While it may be accurate to say that seatbelts and child restraints usage do not come as second nature to South African road users as in Europe and other parts of the world, we managed to agree that education was a key factor in reducing the number of serious injuries and mortalities on our roads.  As part of our efforts to find mutual ground and conclude the heated discussion, I agreed to share more information about seatbelts and child restraints, starting with this article.

Why don’t more South Africans use Seatbelts and Child Restraints?

The reality in our country is that there are roughly two distinct audiences for seatbelt and child restraints education.  One, is familiar with them and appreciates their purpose,  largely because they are among the millions of South Africans who own cars and use them daily.  The other, is the vast majority of the population who rely on taxies and buses, in which any type of occupant restraints seem to come as an optional extra.

I say this with caution as manufacturers of local commercial people movers do include seatbelts in their vehicles.  That said, I am hard-pressed to recall ever stopping at a traffic light and seeing the occupants in a taxi all buckled up.

What are seatbelts and child restraints for?

Seatbelts and child restraints should be seen as a secondary safety devices, created to minimize injury to a person in the event of an accident.  Their main purpose is to:

  1. Prevent you from being ejected from the car at the point of impact in the event of an accident
  2. Distribute the forces of a crash over the strongest parts of your body
  3. Prevent the probability of causing injury to other occupants*
  4. Reduce your risk of coming into contact with the interior of the vehicle
  5. Reduce the risk of serious injury in the event that you do come in contact with the vehicle’s interior

Granted, there are instances where people have reported failure in the mechanics of a seatbelt, particularly the buckle function.  In these occurrences, motorists have reportedly been unable to unbuckle them, resulting in an occupant becoming stuck in their seat.

As legitimate as these concerns are, and not to downplay their occurrences, the percentage of seatbelt buckle failure is minuscule compared to the number of times seatbelts and child restraints have played a major role in saving lives and reducing injuries.

The Importance of Seatbelts for Adults

There are three types of “collisions” that occur in every accident where occupants of a car are unrestrained.

The first type of collision occurs between the vehicle and another object, e.g. another vehicle(s), a stationary object (tree, signpost, or ditch), or a human or animal. The second, occurs between the unbelted occupants and the interior of the vehicle, e.g. the driver hits her chest against the steering wheel or her head against the window. The third and final type of collision takes place when the internal organs of the body knock against the body’s skeletal structure.

Of the three, it is the second collision that is responsible for most injuries.  It is by far, the cause of the most frequent and life-threatening injuries which happen to victims of head-on accidents involving occupants unrestrained by seatbelts.  These injuries, in order of importance are, a hit to the head, the chest followed by the abdomen.

Here’s what happens to an unrestrained adult in an accident

Let’s imagine you are driving with 2 other people in the car.  As the driver, you habitually buckle up but fail to notice or enforce the use of restraints on your passengers.  Perhaps youare under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or medication, or perhaps you are simply in the habit of driving fast because your car has a powerful engine.  Whatever the reason, in this scenario let us say you are driving well above the speed limit, at 140km/hr.  Suddenly, the vehicle in front of yours comes to dead stop.

As your car ploughs into the stationary vehicle.  You, the restrained driver are propelled forward for an unceremonious kissing session with the airbag while the pretensioner of your seatbelt simultaneously tugs at your torso.  Your head cracks against the window and bounces off your headrest, assuming of course that the window was closed and the headrest positioned in such a way as to provide the necessary support.

At the same time, the front passenger, flies into the windscreen and is projected out of the car. She bounces off the bonnet before landing on the rear of the preceding vehicle, (because she was unrestrained at point of impact, it is quite possible that she lands intothe vehicle).

Meanwhile, your equally unrestrained back seat passenger crashes into the backrest of the seat in front of her. Her ordeal has only just begun as she proceeds to mimic a tennis ball within the car, catapulting from one side of it to the other, uncontrollably.  All this happens in less than a blink of an eye and at the same speed you were driving at. 140km/hr.

Here’s what happens to an unrestrained infant in the event of an accident

People tend to feel extremely pained by the death or serious injury of a toddler.  As gory as the image of what happens when an unrestrained adult is involved in an accident, it is much more unfathomable when it happens to infants and here’s my take on why….

When it comes to car safety, toddlers are at the mercy of adults whose responsibility is to ensure their well-being as best they can.  When a child is killed or seriously injured in a car accident it is usually as a result of an adult who has shirked the responsibility of bucking them into an appropriate child restraint.

Here’s a short reminder, about just how vulnerable unrestrained toddlers in a car are. At birth, an infant’s head measures approximately a quarter of their total length and it is about a third of their body weight. Their skull is soft and flexible meaning a relatively small impact can result in significant deformation of the skull and brain. Also, their rib cage is not as rigid as that of a grown-up. In a nutshell, it is safe to say that the smaller the child, the smaller the force needed for serious injury.

In the event of an accident, harsh impact to a toddler’s chest can result in a large compression of the chest wall onto the heart and lungs and some of the abdominal organs. And because an infant’s pelvis is fragile, it cannot withstand the forces from an adult restraint system.  For this reason, infants require their own special seats designed to cradle them in a crash and provide protection from many types of crashes.

Now, let’s go back to the scenario in which you are driving (securely buckled-up) at 140km/hr.  This time though, your 5 year old is lying across the rear seat, sound asleep.  Once again an imaginary car comes to a sudden halt and your car collides into it.

At point of impact, your bundle of joy will ricochet within your car like the last jelly bean in the packet; smashing against the roof, doors, windows, and other passengers.  Because his head is heavier than the rest of their body, the horrifying series of aerial acrobatics he performs are all head first.  Eventually, he explodes from the car and lands, goodness knows where!  It could be on the middle of the road, in the path of passing or on-coming traffic, in the nearby bushes, into a body of water or maybe just next to your car.  Without question, they will be severely hurt, if at all alive, wherever they land.

The solution is simply to ensure that everyone in the car is buckled up.

As disturbing as these illustrations are, they are real.  I have heard many gruesome tales from first responders about what they are confronted with at accident sites.  In many instances, first responders talk about how the majority of accidents they are called out to could have been prevented.

The causes of preventable yet fatal accidents in our country relate to:

  1. Poorly maintained vehicles such as cars not serviced, damaged or incorrectly inflated tyres
  2. Poor visibility such as challenging weather conditions, poor eyesight, shattered windscreens
  3. Driver ‘error’ such as speeding, incorrect overtaking, lack of respect for basic road rules
  4. Driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs
  5. Lack of proper usage of safety restraints

In my mind, the high fatality rate on our roads is inexcusable particularly when it comes to using seatbelts and child restraints.  It should be every driver’s rule that the vehicle will not move until all the occupants within it are safely buckled up, irrespective of the intended distance of travel.

As far as the availability and correct use of restraints as a part of everyday practice in taxies and buses – I can only hope that there will come a time when all vehicles on our roads have them and that the owners of those without, face the heavy arm of the law.  It really is high time that seatbelt and child restraint usage in South Africa, became ‘a thing’.

Research credit: Arrive Alive

What Parents Auto Know About The Different Types of Car Seats

Parents should not only understand car seat categories but also need to strap their toddlers in at all times.

-vuyi mpofu, editor, heels & horsepower magazine

I find it truly mind boggling that some parents elect not to strap their infants and toddlers into appropriate child car seats; what is also incredulous, is that they themselves securely buckle themselves in.  When you consider that most motorists drive above the speed limit as well as drive distracted my sense of bewilderment increases all the more. 

Similar to seat belts, car seats are an essential piece of safety apparatus.  They are built to withstand tremendous amounts of pressure in the event of an accident and when used correctly, could save your child’s life.  

It is imperative that parents ensure that their children travel in appropriate child restraints, which:

  • Conform to the United Nations standard, ECE Regulation 44.04 (or R 44.03) or to the new i-size regulation, R129. Look for the ‘E’ mark label on the seat.
  • are suitable for your child’s weight and size
  • are correctly fitted according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

 

Parents are responsible for their child’s safety and it is an unforgivable act of selfishness not to strap them in.  

– vuyi mpofu, editor heels & horsepower magazine

There are many different types of child seats available. These are divided into categories, according to the weight of the child. Car seats correspond broadly to different age groups, but it is the weight of the child that is most important when deciding what type of child seat to use.  

Here are the various categories parents should know when shopping for a child’s car seat. 

Type of Child Restraint Weight Range Approx. Age Range
Rearward-facing baby seat Group 0:  0 – 10kg
Group 0+: 0 – 13kg


i-size : Not based on weight, but check child’s height is within the range for the seat
0 to 6 – 9 months
0 to 12 – 15 months
Up to at least 15 months
Combination seat (Rearward & Forward-facing) Group 0+ and 1 : 0-18 kg
Group 0+, 1 & 2 : Birth to 25 kg
0 to 4 years
0 to 6 years
Forward-facing child seat Group 1 : 9-18 kg

Group 1, 2 and 3 : 9 – 36 kg
9 months to 4 years
1 to 11 years
High-backed Booster Seat Group 2 : 15 – 25 kg
Group 2 and 3 : 15 – 36 kg
4 to 6 years
4 to 11 years
Booster Cushion Group 2 and 3 : 15 – 36 kg 
Group 3 : 22 – 36 kg
4 to 11 years
6 to 11 years

You and your family will never overcome the loss of your child should you be involved in an accident

– vuyi mpofu, editor heels & horsepower magazine

Parents are responsible for their child’s safety and it is an unforgivable act of selfishness not to strap them in.  The fact that children don’t like car seats and prefer the freedom of jumping about on the seats in a moving car, does not excuse parents from doing the right thing.  

Granted, some little ones scream blue murder at the suggestion of being buckled up and rather than fight with the, most parents relent.  After all, who wouldn’t opt for a peaceful drive?  However, there are two important things to remember about strapping your child:

  1. Your child will eventually stop making a fuss irrespective of how loudly they protest.
  2. You and your family will never overcome the loss of your child should you be involved in an accident

Make it a rule that everyone in the car is buckled up, no matter the distance of your travels. It’s the loving thing to do.

Simplifying the different types of car seats

A car seat is one of the safest to transport your bundle of joy is in a properly installed car seat. There are many different types of car seat brands and it will take considerable effort and time to research the seat best suited for your child and family.  

Car seats can be divided into categories based on the child’s age and weight.  If you are in the market for a car seat, take a look at the table below:

Type of Child Restraint Weight Range Approx. Age Range
Rearward-facing baby seat Group 0
0 – 10kg (22 lbs)
Birth to 6-9 months
Group 0+
0 – 13kg (29 lbs)
Birth to 12-15 months
i-size
Not based on weight, but check child’s height is within the range for the seat
Up to at least 15 months
Combination seat (Rearward and Forward-facing) Group 0+ and 1
0-18 kg (40 lbs)
Birth to 4 yrs
Group 0+, 1 & 2 (55 lbs)
Birth to 25 kg
Birth to 6 yrs
Forward-facing child seat Group 1
9-18 kg (20 – 40 lbs)
9 months to 4 yrs
Group 1, 2 and 3
9 – 36 kg (20 – 79 lbs)
1 to 11 yrs
High-backed Booster Seat Group 2
15 – 25 kg (33 – 55 lbs)
4 to 6 yrs
High-backed Booster Seat Group 2 and 3
15 – 36 kg (33 – 79 lbs)
4 to 11 yrs
Booster Cushion Group 2 and 3
15 – 36 kg (33 – 79 lbs)
4 to 11 yrs
Booster Cushion Group 3
22 – 36 kg (48 – 79 lbs)
6 to 11 yrs
image courtesy of Wheel Well

What are ISOFIX fittings?

There is much talk about child in-car safety and one of the most common ways to ensure the safety of your precious cargo is with the aid of ISOFIX fittings.  But what exactly are they and how do they work?

The word ISOFIX is derived from the words “International Safety Organization” (ISO) and “Fixation” (FIX).  It is the international standard for attachment points for child safety seats in passenger vehicles.  They are U-shaped brackets welded to the chassis of a car for the sole purpose of securing an ISOFIX compliant child seat or base. Almost all cars come standard with ISOFIX points.  They are not optional extras nor can they be removed.  Should the car owner not need to use them, they remain unobstructive and do not interfere with passenger seating comfort.

Why do I need them?

Prior to ISOFIX fittings and ISOFIX compliant car seats, there was a myriad of different sizes and shaped of car seats on the market.  It can’t have been easy for parents to know which car seat was best for their child. ISOFIX however was designed to give parents peace of mind and security, and by virtue of their design, added protection for children in the event of an accident.

Does my car have them?

Most manufacturers mark the location of the ISOFIX fittings with either the words ISOFIX or a symbol.  Some are covered with hard plastic flaps whereas others are covered by the upholstery of the vehicle.  They are generally located either in the front passenger or rear seats. 

How do I find them?

To identify them, push your hand through the gap where the backrest and seat meet and run it across from one end to the other. Within seconds you will come across the first metallic U-shaped fitting. Continue sliding your hand across the gap until you locate the second.

What do they do?

Those with more grey hair than they care to admit will remember a time when in-car child safety meant securing the car seat with the use of seatbelts and a prayer for the best!  ISOFIX fittings however, keep the car seat firmly in place drastically reducing the possibility of your child tumbling out of his seat in the event of an emergency braking scenario.  

Asides offering optimal safety, ISOFIX and compliant products include:

  • Ease of use
  • Quick and simple to install
  • Convenience

ISOFIX fittings in a car are so important that they have become major considerations in the car buying process.  They minimise the risk of incorrectly installing a car seat and provide a solid and permanent connection between the car and the framework of the child seat.  Should you be in the family way, ISOFIX compliant car seats are a bit pricey but then again, what price wouldn’t you pay to ensure your child’s safety?