CPfamilyhealth
Child car seat safety — is your child properly secured?
Think A1 Secure for every car ride... Parents and caregivers are encouraged to follow three quick steps to increase the safety of their child passengers. By Alexandre Séguin, Project Officer, Ottawa Public Health
This year, OPH launched the A1 Secure campaign with the goal of encouraging parents and caregivers to visit a child car seat inspection clinic, as well as providing practical and easy-to-remember information on how to properly secure children in child car seats. The A1 Secure campaign also focuses on the three most common child car seat installation This year marks the 30th anniversary of child car and fitting mistakes made by parents and caregivers. To reach out to the public, Ottawa Public Health seat legislation in Ontario. Child car seats have come a long way in 30 years and remain the best means has partnered with all mother-baby units at local of protection for child passengers. In fact, when hospitals in Ottawa to distribute information materichildren are properly fitted in a child car seat, the als to new parents. As part of the campaign, over risk of death or serious injury is reduced by nearly 150 nurses from the Queensway Carleton Hospital, Montfort Hospital and the Ottawa Hospital have 75 per cent. Every year, staff from Ottawa Public Health been trained to provide campaign messages to new parents. (OPH) and Ottawa Police Service Also, a new website, www. conduct roadside vehicle checks Roadside checks reveal a1secure.ca, throughout the city. Police officers was created and check to make sure all occupants that at least two out includes multi-lingual resources are wearing seatbelts and that as installation pamphlets of three children were such child car seats are suitable and and videos along with safety properly installed. It is the law for not properly secured tips available in English, French, drivers to ensure that passengers Spanish, Punjabi, Arabic, in vehicles. under the age of 16 are properly Somali and Simplified Chinese. secured in a child car seat, in a OPH has also promoted This is concerning booster seat or with a seatbelt. and partnered with S.E.A.T.S. as car crashes are the for Kids Canada, a local organOttawa Public Health nurses provide information about the ization which offers free child number one cause proper use of child restraints, car seat inspection clinics. how to install child car seats and of death for children This partnership has successrestraints correctly, and where to fully increased the visibility of in Canada. go to have them inspected. S.E.A.T.S. for Kids Canada in the Roadside checks are part of community. Many of the organthe initiatives by Safer Roads Ottawa (SRO) — a ization’s resources were translated for French speakleading community partnership between Ottawa ers, and a larger pool of volunteers was recruited. Fire Services, Ottawa Paramedic Service, Ottawa These accomplishments have allowed S.E.A.T.S. for Police Service, Ottawa Public Health and the Public Kids Canada to double the amount of monthly child Works Department. Along with other commun- car seat inspection clinics offered. ity partners, SRO is committed to preventing road Ottawa Public Health encourages parents and deaths and serious injuries for all people in the City caregivers to follow the three quick steps pictured of Ottawa, through community engagement, and here to increase the safety of their child passengers. the development of a sustainable safe transportation Think A1 Secure for every car ride... environment. Unfortunately, in 2011, roadside checks revealed For more information on child passenger safety that at least two out of three children were not prop- and child car seat installation videos, visit www. erly secured in vehicles. This is concerning because a1secure.ca. car crashes are the number one cause of death for To find out where to go to have your child’s car seat children in Canada and one of the leading causes of inspected, visit www.seatsforkidscanada.com or call injury in Ottawa. Ottawa Public Health Information at 613-580-6744.
• No referral necessary • Accepting new patients & emergencies • Dental treatment provided in child friendly atmosphere
Armpit level for harness chest clip.
One finger space between the harness straps and your child’s chest.
Secure the child car seat to the vehicle according to the child car seat user guide.
• Sedation or general anesthesia available • Dental trauma management • Treatment & continuing care (hygiene) • Free parking
Certified Paediatric Dentist Dr. RAj-DeeP MAhAl
B.SC., D.D.S., M.Sc., F.R.C.D. (C)
1335 Carling Ave., Suite 313 (beside Westgate at the Qwy.) Tel.: 613.722.0233 • Fax: 613.722.0719
October/November 2012 3