By Staff
September 14th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Last Saturday was not a good day for learning just how unsafe many of the cars seats in Milton are.
Members of the Halton Regional Police Service, Halton Fire and Halton Public Health, along with support from community volunteers, conducted their annual Milton Car Seat Inspection Clinic at the Milton Fire Station on James Snow Parkway. The results were not impressive.
Police officers interacted with all motorists on the James Snow Parkway, performing cursory checks of car seats and identifying those requiring further inspection. Officers conduct these initial inspections The Highway Traffic Act gives police the authority inspect motor vehicles. Car seats located in vehicles form part of a vehicle’s equipment.
They are not cheap – but they are legally required.
Over the course of four hours, police screened more than 1,200 motorists. Vehicles containing car seats were spoken with and observations were made that led 112 of those to be sent to the fire station for further review by qualified car seat installation technicians.
Results:
Booster Car seats
# of Inspections 26 86
# of Fails 13 67
Failure rate 50% 78%
While these are Milton numbers – the law of averages suggests Burlington’s numbers will not be much different.
Some of the more common issues encountered were:
• Inappropriate car seat for the child being transported (car seat, forward or rear facing, or booster seat) – determined by age, weight or height
• Expired seats with obsolete, ‘old-style’ restraint systems
• Missing equipment, including chest clips and tether straps
• Loose installations and harnesses
Police encountered one vehicle with a child seated on an adult’s lap in the rear of a vehicle; both were being secured by one seat belt. The child’s parent (driver) was appropriately charged by police and educated on the significant injuries that could be sustained by the child in the event of a collision. Police were surprised to learn, however, that a second vehicle following behind with other family members was half-empty – meaning this situation was completely avoidable.
There is a right way and a wrong way to install a car seat.
In another instance, clinic volunteers helped an expectant mother, who was overdue, install a new rear-facing car seat. A very teary eyed and relieved mom-to-be thanked technicians for ensuring her new arrival would be safe.
All told, 80 children – among our most vulnerable road users – are safer today as a result of this clinic.
All motorists who transport children – regardless of distance, relationship or destination – a vehicle’s driver is legally responsible for the safety of all occupants under the age of 16.
