On April 23 between 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., Airdrie Integrated Traffic (ITU) officers conducted a child safety seat enforcement check on Dwight McLellan Trail south of the CrossIron Mills mall.
Officers handed out several tickets, noting that many parents are failing to properly secure their children.
“Properly securing our children into child safety seats is the most important thing we can do as drivers to ensure their safety,” said Sheriff Jason Graw, with the Airdrie Integrated Traffic Unit.
“Our overall goal in performing child safety seat checks is to educate parents as to the proper use of their child safety seats and direct them to the appropriate resources if required.”
Some of the most common deficiencies that ITU officers found include:
· Children not securely or properly fastened using the internal five-point harness in the child safety seat
· Forward-facing child seats not secured with a tether strap
· Child safety seats not securely fastened into vehicles
Each child safety seat ticket handed out carries a $115 fine, and some motorists received more than one ticket for multiple serious infractions.
Those motorists that were issued violation tickets in the child safety seat enforcement check have the option of attending a free two-hour child safety seat course hosted by Alberta Health Services.
Upon attending the course, the tickets are then withdrawn.
“We view the child safety seat education course as a win/win,” said Graw.
“Drivers are taught by subject matter experts how to properly secure their children – and why doing so is of paramount importance – but in return they are not responsible to pay the tickets they received. It really is an excellent program from our point of view.”
Provincial collision statistics show that unrestrained or improperly restrained vehicle occupants are up to 50 per cent more likely to sustain injuries in a collision. Accordingly, occupant restraint enforcement is one of the top enforcement priorities of Alberta’s Integrated Traffic Units.
Parents who are unsure how to install their child safety seats, or are unsure how to properly buckle their children into the seats are advised to check both the manual for their vehicle and the instructions that came with the child safety seat.
For more assistance, concerned parents can also contact the Integrated Traffic Unit in their area, or Alberta Health Services.
