Child seat information and ratings available on icbc.com
November, 2002 – Families who are in the market for a new child car seat can now find current, comprehensive information online at www.icbc.com.
ICBC’s “Buying A Better Child Seat” and “Doing It Up Right” brochures have been combined to become “Buying and Installing A Child Seat,” which includes ‘ease of use’ ratings. “Making this material available online allows parents to check icbc.com for current data, rather than waiting up to a year for the next brochure,”says Linda Christensen, manager of Vehicle Safety Strategies at ICBC. “Ease of use ratings are included because if the child seat is simple to use, it is more likely to be installed correctly.”
ICBC wants to get the message out that all children should be secured in a child seat appropriate to their size and age. “A particular concern is the lack of use of booster seats in children 4½ to eight years old,”says Christensen. “Evidence shows that children in this age group are less likely to be injured or killed if they are secured in a booster seat.”
Seat belts are meant for adults and cannot properly secure small children. The two main causes of serious and fatal injury to child occupants in motor vehicle crashes are no restraints use and the use of a restraint system that is too big for the child’s size.
Other new resources available on icbc.com include Korean, Punjabi and Chinese translations of the Best Practices card. The information and updates can be found in the Road Safety section of icbc.com under Child Seats.
Drivers should keep the following tips in mind when transporting any child in their vehicle:
- A booster is the best form of restraint protection for a child between 4½ to eight years old (40 to 80 pounds).
- Don’t move a child to the next restraint stage too early. The best protection to reduce the risk of injury is a restraint device that fits properly.
- When using a booster, ensure the seat belt is routed snugly across the child’s chest with the lap portion low over the hips. Never allow the seat belt to be placed behind the child’s back or under their arm.
- Use a “lap only” belt when it is the only option available. Lap/shoulder belts are the safest.
- In the majority of crashes, the safest location in a vehicle for children 12 years old and under is the back seat.
- For more information on your specific child seat and clinics, BC residents call the toll-free BCAA/ICBC child passenger information line at 1-877-247-5551.
