Is your child safety seat properly installed? Despite how much you love your little one, the answer may be no. As a matter of fact, a study conducted in 2011 by the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) revealed that only half of all child safety seats intended for children under 5 are used correctly.
Today, as part of the Child Safety Seat Inspection Day, 97 Canadian Tire stores across Quebec are inviting parents and grandparents to have their child safety seats inspected or installed free of charge from noon to 8 p.m.
Specially trained staff members will provide useful tips and advice on child safety seat installation, like making sure none of the car's seat belts can harm children in the event of a collision.
Permanent Provincial Network for the Inspection of Child Safety Seats
In partnership with CAA-Quebec, the SAAQ has created a permanent network to inspect child safety seats. It includes police forces, health establishments, daycare centres, and other organizations. With the addition of Canadian Tire, the network now has nearly 480 members.
“Joining the
Permanent Provincial Network for the Inspection of Child Safety Seats was a no-brainer for a family-oriented company like us. Child safety seat inspection is yet another service we want to offer our customers,” said Bernard Villemaire, Regional Vice President Quebec, Store & Auto Operations at Canadian Tire Corporation.
The personnel on hand will be able to guide parents and grandparents to make sure they can safely install a child seat in their vehicle -- any vehicle, actually.
In Quebec only... for now
The 2012 pilot project in 14 Canadian Tire stores was so successful that the corporation decided to expand the program to the entire province.
While exclusively held in Quebec due to different rules elsewhere in Canada, Canadian Tire is “seriously considering” a plan to make the Child Safety Seat Inspection Day a nationwide event, Villemaire claims.
How does it work?
The specially trained individuals will check if a child is seated in the right type of child car seat for his or her height and weight. They will then check if the child safety seat is being used properly, more specifically that it is firmly anchored on the back seat of the vehicle and that the child is properly restrained.
Anchoring systems can also be installed in vehicles that don't have any in order to increase the effectiveness of the restraint device.
Beyond today
The Child Safety Seat Inspection Day at Canadian Tire stores primarily aims to raise public awareness. If you can't stop by today, you can still have your child safety seat inspected by making an appointment with a member of the Permanent Provincial Network.
The process will take a mere 15 minutes, and could one day make the difference between life and death during a crash.
*Special thanks to the Canadian Tire team at 1450, Le Corbusier Boulevard in Laval, for their precious collaboration.
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| Photo: Canadian Tire |
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