London, ON – More than 70 percent of children who should be seated in a booster seat when riding in a car, minivan or pickup truck aren’t, exposing them to potential injuries. That statistic, along with concerns about incorrect booster seat use, has prompted the Child Safety Coalition of Middlesex-London to tell parents and caregivers that proper booster seat use is critical to the safety of their children. To help underscore the importance of booster seat use, the Coalition will have a presence at community health fairs, events and presentations throughout London and Middlesex County between September and December.
The first such event will get underway at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow afternoon, Thursday, September 11th at Mary Wright Public School, located at 213 Carroll Street West in Strathroy. Emergency response personnel will be on-hand to talk to parents about the importance of having their children use a booster seat until they are the right weight and height to use a seat belt alone. The Ontario Provincial Police will have its seat belt simulator on site to demonstrate the effects of not using a booster seat.
“It is clear booster seats protect children from serious crash related injuries, yet more than seven in 10 children who should use them don’t. Parents need to remember that standard seatbelts are made for adults not kids,” says Meagan Melling, Public Health Nurse with the Middlesex-London Health Unit’s Healthy Communities Injury Prevention Team. “Booster seats correct the fit of the seatbelt by raising the child in the seat up, decreasing the risk of serious head, spine and abdominal injuries in the event of a motor vehicle collision.”
Under Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act children must use a booster seat if they are:
- Under 4 feet 9 inches (145 cm) tall, or
- Weigh less than 80lbs (36 kg), or
- Are under the age of eight.
The Highway Traffic Act recommendations are minimum requirements, so it is best for children to use a booster seat until they reach the seat manufacturer’s height and/or weight limits.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children between the ages of one and 14 years of age; in Middlesex-London vehicle collisions are the leading cause of unintentional injury in all age groups.
Visit http://www.healthunit.com/booster-seats for more information about booster seats and other safety information.
Media Contacts:
Dan Flaherty, Communications Manager, Middlesex-London Health Unit, 519-663-5317 ext. 2469 or 519-617-0570 (cell)
Spokesperson:
Meagan Melling, Public Health Nurse, Healthy Communities Injury Prevention Team