Donkey Seatbelts

A charity in Wales is fitting inflatable seatbelts to donkeys to help carry pregnant women to give birth in poor countries.

16:03 29 December 2015

A charity in Wales is improving safety for pregnant women in Third World countries using donkey seatbelts. They have been trialled in Afghanistan and are set to be used in Ethiopia next year.

 

Several families in Africa do not have cars and rely on either a horse or donkey for their transportation. The seatbelts, which are inflated with wrap-around saddles, are designed to minimize the risk of falling.

 

The saddles, which were made by SaddleAid in North Wales, have been tested by a Welsh donkey called Queenie to improve the inflatable safety gear. 

 

Cat Jones, who will run the trial for Hub Cymru Africa, said: “The time to get to the facilities can often put both the mother and baby at risk.

 

“A device like this can make a real difference when access to roads and vehicles is often not possible, but where many families have access to a horse, pony or donkey.”