12 Nov 2015

Road traffic safety has for a couple of months taken a new approach to ensure zero tolerance to severe road crashes and deaths. 

Until now, wearing seat belts has been compulsory for older children and adults, yet not for children under the age of five. Appropriate safety and booster seats have also not been required and there have been no rules against children older than five sitting in the front seat. 

But recently, the Department of Road Transport and Safety (DRTS) and the Traffic Division of Botswana Police have taken this fatal anomaly into account and have put in place road traffic regulations which is meant to protect minors from being victims of road accidents that continue to claim innocent little children's lives across the country. 

The requirement now in all private cars and public transports such as taxis is that children who are being transported in motor vehicles should be buckled up with child restraints chairs. This requirement applies to children who cannot fit in the current seat belts that are fitted in motor vehicles. 

According to Assistant Superintendent in charge of traffic at the Francistown Central Police Station, Bigboy Tiyedze, the Child Restraint Chair regulation is found on the Statutory Instrument No. 62 of 2013.

“This instrument was implemented after revoking the then statutory instrument No.75 of 1981. It clearly states that any passenger who is under the age of five years shall be held on a child restraint seat placed at the back passenger seat, and in the case of pickup vehicle, the child shall be restrained in a safe position in the front seat of the pickup vehicle,” Ast Supt Tiyedze said. 

He further said the regulation applied to all vehicles, private or public adding that enough consultation was done to alert the public of this.“This regulation was discussed on television, radios and newspapers which carry the stories on the regulation every day.”  Ends