DriveSmartBC

Over 90% of car and booster seats are used incorrectly – does this include yours?

Parents and caregivers are invited to a free car seat clinic to have the installation and use of their car and booster seats checked by certified Children’s Restraint Systems Technicians. Appointments are required to guarantee a spot, but there will be some drop-in space available.

The observation "five dollar head, five dollar helmet" used to be common in traffic law enforcement referring to motorcycle riders who wore beanie style helmets that would provide little or no protection in a crash. Today, that observation could be extended to those who choose to ride a bicycle with inadequate protection.

When Jen Shapka moved to Vancouver Island last summer, she was keen to continue volunteering her child passenger safety skills to help parents and caregivers properly install and use their car seats. There was very little happening in her town, however, and after looking north and south for an agency to volunteer with, found lots of parents with questions, but nobody offering answers.

This issue of the Status Report examines: Alcohol ignition interlocks are reducing recidivism among drivers convicted of DUI in Washington, enhanced belt reminders can persuade motorists to buckle up without being relentless,  interior padding reduces fatal head injuries by 24 percent and a new government analysis concludes Teenage passenger death ra

Obesity has been shown to increase the risk of some types of injury in crashes. One hypothesis is that obesity adversely effects belt fit by changing the routing of the belt relative to the underlying skeletal structures.

Free Duncan Car Seat Clinic - Sunday, March 25th, 2012 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm.

Over 90% of car seats are installed incorrectly, is yours one of them? Have a certified car seat tech check your seat(s) - it could save your child's life!

This series of eight videos produced by Safe Kids Canada starts with an explanation of why your child needs a car or booster seat and ends with them using the adult seat belt. Each stage in between has it's own chapter and together they provide a good start to learn about keeping your vulnerable passengers properly protected when you transport them in a motor vehicle.

During 2010, vehicle occupants in British Columbia were surveyed by Transport Canada to have a 97%+ seatbelt wearing rate. This was determined by a 2 hour observation period during daylight hours between September 15 and 21 at 286 sites across the country.

This issue of the Status Report looks at how long it takes a new safety feature will be present in the majority of vehicles on our highways actually incorporate these features. One example is front air bags which were first introduced in the mid - 1980's and it is estimated that they will reach the 95% inclusion level in 2016.

No one rides in my vehicle unless they are wearing their seatbelt. I've actually investigated a death in a collision like this one. The forces of the rear seat passenger coming forward were enough to tear the front passenger seat out of the floor of the vehicle in addition to causing or contributing to the death of the woman seated in it.