Buckle up your children please

Driving to work this morning was an experience. Bad traffic, due to rain and chaotic taxis driving as though there are no rules on the roads resulted in me losing my temper a few times and having to swerve out of the way twice. 

So imagine my surprise when I saw this woman driving extremely fast in a black golf with her toddler standing on the front seat, with no seatbelt and casually waving his hands out of the window at the other cars in the road. 

Now imagine the same woman chatting away and laughing on her cell phone. 

It drives me insane when parents don’t take responsibility for their children’s safety. If we believe that our children are our future, why do some parents insist of putting their children at risk?

Even if your child screams and shouts about sitting in a baby seat, it’s a child and you’re the parent. If you can’t discipline them maybe you should reconsider having them. 

Seriously, we give parents that smoke and drink through their pregnancy so much trouble for endangering the life of that child. However, I must emphasise that failing to buckle up your child is even worse. All it takes is one emergency stop to send your child flying through the windscreen. 

Traffic officers are constantly fighting to reduce road deaths in South Africa, however, parents who fail to buckle up their kids have no right to complain about reckless driving. 

Please folks, buckle them up and keep them safe because in the unfortunate event of an accident, you and your child could be seriously injured, even if you’re buckled up.

I would like to put a challenge out there for every law abiding citizen. When you see a parent driving recklessly and failing to buckle up their children, stop next to them role down your window and ask them to buckle up their kids. 

Remember, each of us have the power to change the world... We simply need to open our mouths and say something. 

Just putting it out there...