Get Boosted

Maybe we buy organic milk and ditched all the BPA—juuuuust in case. Because we really do want the best for our children.
But it turns out there’s something much easier to manage that we’re not being as vigilant about—the proper use of carseats. And it’s definitely putting our children at risk. Here’s the deal:

• 80% of Canadian children are not properly restrained when they are travelling in motor vehicles
• Only 28% of Canadian children between the ages of four to eight are using booster seats
• The majority of serious injuries and fatalities for children under the age of 14 occur in the summer months due to motor vehicle collisions (the leading cause of injury-related death for Canadian children)
• Correctly using child restraints on EVERY trip can prevent 75% of crash-related deaths and serious injuries to children

After learning this, we decided to get some tips from Safe Kids Canada for properly using car seats:

• Babies should be kept in rear-facing car seats until they are at least 1 year of age AND at least 22 pounds. These seats protect babies’ necks better, spreading the force of a crash across their relatively stronger backs.
• Keep your child in a forward-facing car seat as long as is safely possible. Children must be at least 40 pounds (18 kg) before they can ride in a booster seat, regardless of their age.
• A child is ready for a booster seat when she or he is less than 4 feet, 9 inches (145 cm) tall and weighs between 40 and 80 pounds.