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Seatbelts And Child Safety Seats Save Lives
TORONTO, Sept. 30 /CNW/ -
NEWS
Seatbelt safety blitzes and child safety seat inspection clinics will be
held across the province during the first two weeks of October to remind
drivers and passengers to buckle up and make sure children are safely secured.
Local police, fire, emergency medical services, public health units and
volunteer organizations will join forces to spread the word that seatbelts,
child safety seats and booster seats save lives.
Failing to wear your seatbelt while driving makes you about 38 times more
likely to be killed in a crash than if you did buckle up. That is why
Ontario's one person, one seatbelt
(http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/seatbelt.htm) law requires every
occupant in a motor vehicle to buckle up properly. Drivers must ensure
children under age 16 are correctly secured
(http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/carseat/choose.htm) in the
appropriate child safety seat, booster seat or seatbelt.
QUOTES
"Wearing your seatbelt properly will dramatically increase your chances
of surviving a crash," said Transportation Minister Jim Bradley
(http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/about/minister.htm). "Drivers and passengers
must buckle up and parents need to make sure their children are safely secured
- it's the law in Ontario for the best reason in the world: seatbelts and
child safety seats save lives."
"Making sure you and your children are buckled up properly every time you
go somewhere in your motor vehicle will help prevent injuries and save lives,"
said Minister of Health Promotion Margarett Best
(http://www.mhp.gov.on.ca/english/margarettbest.asp).
"Motor vehicle collisions are a leading cause of death of children in
Canada," said Pamela Fuselli, executive director at Safe Kids Canada
(http://webx.newswire.ca/click/?id=447dbf0e0457a52). "Ensuring that everyone
in the family is buckled up on every ride can save lives. For children, that
means using the appropriate car seat or booster seat correctly installed,
until they grow big enough to safely use the seatbelt alone."
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QUICK FACTS
- In 1976, Ontario became the first province in Canada to make seatbelts
mandatory.
- Driving without a seatbelt carries a fine of $110 and two demerit
points upon conviction. About 680,000 Ontarians still do not regularly
buckle up.
- Booster seats and child safety seats are mandatory for children under
age eight who weigh less than 36 kilograms (80 pounds), and are less
than 145 centimetres (4 feet, 9 inches) tall. Drivers who do not
correctly use booster seats or child safety seats for their young
passengers face two demerit points and a $110 fine.
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LEARN MORE
About two-thirds of all children between the ages of four and eight are
not properly secured when travelling in a motor vehicle. For help choosing the
seat that's right for your child, and for installation tips, visit the
Ministry of Transportation's SmartLove
(http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/smartlove/) website or contact your
local public health unit
(http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/public/contact/phu/phuloc_mn.html) for
more information.
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For further information: Nicole Lippa-Gasparro, Minister's Office, (416) 327-1815; Bob Nichols, Communications Branch, (416) 327-1158
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