Wheel Well's 'Halo Beanies' project
Suzuki Auto South Africa is stepping up its efforts to promote road safety by partnering with Wheel Well, a road safety advocacy group, to distribute warm, reflective beanies to children in rural KwaZulu-Natal.
Recognizing the vulnerability of children, especially those who walk to school in the dark, Suzuki’s Brand Marketing Manager, Brendon Carpenter, highlighted the serious risk these young pedestrians face. In 2021 alone, 1 320 children died as pedestrians in road accidents, with many more injured in hit-and-run incidents.
To address this issue, Suzuki and Wheel Well have launched the Halo Beanies project, which will see 816 reflective beanies distributed to students at Enkelabantwana Primary and Ndebeni Primary in Bulwer, KwaZulu-Natal. This is not Suzuki’s first engagement with these schools. Earlier in the year, the company provided reading materials and teacher-training tools as part of the Rally to Read initiative.
Wheel Well has been running the Halo Beanies project since 2017, distributing 3 200 ready-made beanies and materials for thousands more. The organization offers two options for supporters: purchasing ready-made beanies for immediate distribution or buying the wool, knitting pattern, and reflective yarn at a third of the cost. The latter option involves local grandmothers knitting the beanies, fostering community involvement.
Other reflective products like sashes and backpacks were found less effective, as children often removed them while playing. However, the beanies are popular among children and are worn even during play, providing additional warmth and safety on cold mornings when children walk long distances to school.
Wheel Well also runs the Car Seat for Kids initiative, which collects, refurbishes, and redistributes old car seats to parents in need. This initiative has been successful for the past decade, reinforcing Wheel Well’s commitment to child safety in various forms.
Peggie Mars, founder of Wheel Well, expressed gratitude for partners like Suzuki, stating: “We care for the safety of children of all ages. The Halo Beanie project is a worthwhile addition to our work on child safety in cars, and child seats and partners like Suzuki have made it possible to expand their use across South Africa.”
