Since the beginning of the year, Saskatchewan RCMP have identified 198 children under the age of seven and 49 children between seven and 15 years of age who were not properly restrained through seatbelts and child restraints.
Police are taking this time to remind drivers that it’s the law to ensure children are buckled up and in an appropriate car or booster seat.
In a release, police stated that 142 children under the age of seven were not using a car seat or booster seat.
“(Forty-six) were not restrained properly … (and) 16 children were in car seats that were improperly attached to the vehicle,” according to a release. “(Twenty-six) children were located in one of the front seats. This is particularly hazardous due to the sudden nature of an inflating airbag, which can severely injure small children in collisions.”
Police stated that 29 various seating issues were observed, including 11 children standing up in vehicles, three sitting at the edge of a seat and two sitting in the driver’s lap.
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“One child was thrown forward while the vehicle was stopping for the traffic stop due to the absence of any seatbelt or child restraint,” the release read.
Senior Const. Dean Lusok from the Regina Police Service (RPS) said he was very surprised by the numbers, especially with the young kids.
“When I saw the numbers … that’s very (dis)heartening to see, especially with the enforcement we do throughout the province and the combined traffic and municipalities,” he said.
Lusok believes families aren’t reading the instructions that come with the car and booster seats. He is also a certified car seat technician and recommends drivers read the instructions.
“If you have problems or anything like that, you can contact … SGI. They will put you through to a car seat technician like myself,” he said. “We will show you properly how to install it, even put the child into the seat so that they’re safe. And when you’re driving, they’re properly restrained.”
Sask. RCMP remind drivers to protect young passengers and to keep in mind that children 12 and under are safest in the back seat of a vehicle in proper restraints based on their age, height and weight.
“All child passengers should be buckled up. You can be fined $175 if a child under the age of 7 isn’t in an appropriate car or booster seat, or if a passenger under the age of 16 is not buckled up,” the release read.
To learn more about car seat and booster seat requirements, visit the SGI website.