CALGARY- Just because you have your child fastened into a car seat, that doesn’t mean they’re safe.
That was the message from police on Wednesday, as they conducted a safety blitz in northeast Calgary to inspect car seats and seat belts.
Officers pulled over vehicles to ensure the seats were attached properly, had tether straps, and children were harnessed in correctly.
“A lot of times the seatbelts or actual lap systems are a little bit loose so when you get in there and you reef on that car seat you can move it around,” explains Cst. Jim Lebedeff of the Calgary Police Traffic Unit. “You have to consider in a crash, the dynamics that are happening are pretty…and even if that little person is belted properly inside, the injuries they can sustain with the car seat moving around can be pretty substantial.”
Common mistakes include straps that are too loose, or chest clips that are too low.
Get weekly health news
“People just need to get right in that car seat, kneel in it and snug it right up,” Lebedeff suggests. “Some people can’t find where it should actually be tethered, so they don’t tether it.”
Anyone with an improperly installed car seat is subject to a $115 fine, but if they attend a safety class it will be cancelled.
One mother who was pulled over is happy with the safety blitz.
“It’s safe. It’s a benefit for me as a mom, and a benefit for my son,” says Rose Anthony.
Parents are also warned to watch out for unsafe recalled and second hand car seats.
78 tickets were issued for car seat violations during Wednesday’s checkstop.
Comments