Our Car Seats For Kids CSI initiative is once again launched, and we felt it necessary to write a blog post about safety guidelines to help you protect your most valuable asset – your children.

As a parent or guardian, you are responsible for keeping your children safe, and as an organisation dedicated to raising awareness of vehicle safety, we have a responsibility to provide you with information to help you do so. That's why we've partnered with Wheel Well, an initiative designed to educate the public about the dangers of not using car seats or using car seats that are inappropriate for a child's height and age. In addition to raising awareness about car safety seats, we distribute refurbished car seats to people who cannot afford to buy new ones. To date, Cartrack and Wheel Well have distributed more than 4,000 child car seats to families in need. This year, we want to increase that number and call on all Cartrack fans to help donate used car seats. Our goal is to collect 100 seats by the end of March; With your help, it's possible! Collection points for car seats are located at all Renault dealerships around the country. For more information, follow us on Facebook or contact Cartrack directly. Working together, we can make South Africa's roads safer for our children.

Here are some simple guidelines on choosing and when to use a child car seat:

Birth to 9 kg

Your child is very vulnerable, so your baby should always be seated in a rear-facing child car seat. The infant safety seat should always be rear-facing. 3-in-1 car seats usually have higher height and weight restrictions for rear-facing positions, which allow you to position your child rear-facing for longer. Statistics show that rear-facing car seats are safer for people of all ages.

9 to 18 kg

Place your child in a rear-facing car seat whenever possible, as this is the safest option. Your child should remain in a rear-facing child car seat until they reach the maximum height or weight limit allowed by the car seat manufacturer. Once your child has exceeded the rear-facing car seat, they can use the forward-facing car seat.

18 kg to 1.5 m

Have your child sit in a forward-facing child safety seat with a harness until they reach the maximum height or weight limit allowed by the car seat manufacturer. Once your child has exceeded the forward-facing child car seat with a harness, they can use the booster cushion, which should still be placed in the back seat. The front seat is not as safe for children as the back seat.

1.5 meters and above

Have your child sit on a booster pad until he/she is old enough to wear the harness properly. In order for the harness to be worn correctly, the belt must fit snugly against the upper thighs, not the stomach. The shoulder straps should fit snugly against the shoulders and chest, not the neck or face. Remember that your child should always sit in the back seat, as the back seat is always safer than the front seat.

For more information, visit and support:

http://www.wheelwell.co.za/child-restraints-and-road-safety/