You wouldn’t drive your car without wearing your seatbelt, but are you sure your child’s car seat or booster seat is also safely fastened? In 2021, over 5000 children were killed or injured in vehicle collisions, but a properly used child seat can reduce the risk of injury by 71 to 82% compared to seatbelt use alone.
Child Passenger Safety Week reminds us all to learn about child seat safety, including the appropriate type of child seat for each age, how to install seats correctly and how to use harnesses properly.
Protect your baby on board with these tips from Child Safety Link, an injury prevention program at the IWK Health Centre in Nova Scotia:
Make sure your car seat is safe to use. It should be approved for use in Canada, not subject to recall or past its expiry date, and the correct size for your child’s height, weight and age.
Only use second-hand car seats if you have all the parts and original instruction booklet, and you know its history (i.e., that it has not been involved in a collision or otherwise damaged).
Follow the correct installation and buckling guidelines, which vary for forward- and rear-facing seats.
Learn more about Transport Canada’s guidance on transporting children with special health care needs who may require an adaptive car bed, car seat, booster seat or vest.
Make sure you know your province’s or territory’s specific laws that govern the use of car seats, booster seats and seatbelts.
Child Safety Link is dedicated to reducing the incidence and severity of unintentional injury to children and youth in the Maritimes. IBC is proud to provide funding for three of their initiatives for the next two years:
Expansion of the Right Seat Resource
Implementation of an Atlantic-wide car seat grant program
Development of a child passenger safety instructor hub.
Visit Child Safety Link’s website for more information on keeping your most precious passengers safe on the road.
