Car seat safety starts with A1Secure and three... Car seat safety starts with A1Secure and three easy stepsOttawa –Today, Councillor Jan Harder, Board of Health member, Police Chief Charles Bordeleau, and Dr. Isra Levy, Medical Officer of Health launched the A1 Secure campaign. Ottawa Public Health’s (OPH) new child passenger safety campaign focuses on teaching parents and caregivers three key steps to increase the safety of their child passengers.
- Armpit level for harness chest clip
- One finger space only between harness straps and the child’s chest
- Secure child car seat to vehicle according to the child car seats user guide
“Following these simple steps doesn’t take a lot of time, but it’s incredibly important,” said Mayor Jim Watson. “Through this campaign we are raising awareness and, together, helping give our young residents the safety they need.” “We all want our children to be safe,” said Councillor Harder. “Learning how to properly install car seats is one simple and tangible thing we can do as parents to make our children safer. I am thrilled to be here today to help draw attention to this important issue.” “A properly used and installed child seat can significantly reduce the chance of a child being hurt or killed in a collision,” said Chief Bordeleau. “This program helps provide some easy tips people can use to keep their child passengers safer.” As a part of National Road Safety Week and the Safer Roads Ottawa program, OPH highlighted its recent work to enhance public education, increase local partnerships, and develop child passenger safety resources. “Motor vehicle collisions are the number one cause of death for children in Canada; however, a properly installed car seat can reduce the risk of serious injury or death, by as much as 74 per cent,” said Dr. Levy. “Unfortunately, our research indicates that most child passengers in Ottawa are not properly secured in vehicles. In 2011, two out of every three child passengers in front-facing and rear-facing child car seats were not properly secured.” The Safer Roads Ottawa program is a leading community partnership between Ottawa Fire Services, Ottawa Paramedic Service, Ottawa Police Service, the Public Works department and Ottawa Public Health. It is committed to preventing or eliminating road deaths and serious injuries for all residents, through culture change, community engagement, and development of a sustainable safe transportation environment. For more information on the A1 Secure campaign and car seat safety videos visit a1secure.ca or call Ottawa Public Health Information 613-580-6744 (TTY: 613-580-9656). You can also connect with OPH on Facebook and Twitter (@ottawahealth).
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