It is Child Passenger Safety Week in Atlantic Canada.
A spokesperson for Child Safety Link Katherine Hutka says a recent study found that when car seats are installed correctly, they can reduce the risk of fatal injury by up to 71 percent.
“While 99 percent of the children we saw at roadside checkpoints were buckled in some way, we did see that 73 percent of rear and forward-facing seats were buckled or installed incorrectly,” Hutka says.
She says there were concerns about booster seats as well, “30 percent of the children who were using a booster seat were not yet 40 pounds, and were not yet safe to use a booster seat. They also found that more than half who were using a seatbelt alone would have been safer using a booster seat.”
The importance of a properly used car seat can’t be overstated: please share 2 help us celebrate #ChildPassengerSafetyWeek ! @CPSW2019 #CPSWCanada #safekids #parenting pic.twitter.com/cTLKg8JWrg
— Child Safety Link (@childsafetylink) September 18, 2019
Several car check clinics and information sessions have been set up in New Brunswick this week.
Several events are scheduled to take place throughout Atlantic Canada this month:
Car Seat check clinics in Antigonish, Elmsdale, Halifax, Shelburne, Truro, NS as well as Dieppe, Fredericton, New Maryland, Rothesay, St. Stephen, St. George, Woodstock, NB and Conception Bay South, St. John’s, NL
Parent information sessions in Elmsdale, Liverpool, NS and Fredericton, St. Stephen, Eel Ground/Natoaganeg, NB
Roadside education checkpoints in Baddeck and New Glasgow, NS
Workshops and presentations for professionals will take place in Truro, Halifax, NS as well as and New Maryland, Rothesay, NB
You can find an interactive map with details of these events at www.childsafetylink.ca
