Safe Kids Canada was a key participant in the launch of the Ontario Provincial Police's (OPP) Spring seatbelt campaign in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and other road safety partners on April 14 at a Toronto-area public school.

This year, the campaign is focused on using proper child seats and restraints to protect children riding in cars. A properly used child booster seat reduces a child's risk of injury in a crash by as much as 75 per cent, yet OPP officers find many child car seats are incorrectly used or incorrectly installed.

When used correctly, a booster seat provides 60 per cent more protection than a seatbelt alone. In a collision, children using seatbelts instead of booster seats are three and a half times more likely to suffer significant injury and four times more likely to suffer head injury.

"At Safe Kids Canada, we recognize that selecting and installing a car seat or booster seat isn't always easy," said Kristen Gane of Safe Kids Canada. "Just the amount of information available these days can complicate the decision-making process, and create uncertainty and frustration. We know that parents want more than anything to keep their children safe. We know that they appreciate simple and reliable tools to inform and support their decision making. So we must continue to find innovative ways to inform and support them.

"For example, something as simple as knowing the weight and height of your child, can go a long way to ensuring that the right car seat or booster seat is selected and used. Reaching out to parents is absolutely key, and I know that those of us in attendance today who work in the field of safety, recognize this essential fact."

For more information, visit Car Seats