September 15 to 21 is the National Child Passenger Safety Week (NCPSW) across the country.
IWK Health’s Child Safety Link program is marking the occasion by listing ways to protect children from injury in motor vehicle collisions.
The theme for this year, “The Right Seat, the Right Time, Every Ride,” highlights the fundamental steps needed to keep children safe at every age when they are passengers in the family vehicle.
Katherine Hutka, the health promotion specialist for Child Safety Link, said motor vehicle collisions are a leading cause of death for Canadian children.
“When used correctly, a safe car seat or booster seat reduces the risk of fatal injury by up to 71 per cent. We know that families need support to better understand which seats are safe to use and how to use them correctly to keep their children safe,” said Hutka.
When choosing a car seat or booster seat, officials highlighted several important points for parents and caregivers.
- Always make sure your child is safely buckled on every ride in a car, truck, SUV or van.
- Ensure your child’s car seat meets Canadian safety standards by checking for the National Safety Mark.
- Ensure the car seat fits your child’s age and stage. Check labels & instructions for height, weight, and age limits compliance.
- Don’t rush your child into the next stage of the seat before they are ready.
- Follow the manufacturer’s seat instructions carefully, if the manual is lost, request a new one directly.
Hutka also added that they will be sharing more tips on social media throughout the week.
“The tips will have different videos and reels to help caregivers choose the right seat and to figure out some of those key ways to use them as well,” added Hutka.
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