Can you imagine getting into your car and not fastening your seat belt or securing your child in a car or booster seat? Research shows that for the vast majority of Canadians, the answer is no.

Since the introduction of seat belt laws across Canada between 1980 and 1996 (in the face of public resistance), there has been a dramatic decline in motor vehicle accident fatality rates. Specifically, vehicle- occupant fatalities have dropped by roughly 68 percent.

Following the enactment of car seat laws, the risk of death for infants under age 1 reduced by 71 per cent and by 54 per cent for children ages 1 to 4. Car seats also reduce the risk of hospitalization by 67 per cent for children age 4 and under.

The Canadian Public Health Organization, perfectly summarized the effect of safety regulations in their article Child Passenger Safety and Injury Prevention:

In efforts to increase children’s safety on the road, legislation makes a difference. In the 1970s and 1980s, the number of motor vehicle deaths and serious injuries convinced legislators to implement seat belt laws. In the case of children, similarly observed statistics were soon followed by car seat laws. Legislation has a direct impact on behavior. Research shows that approximately 90% of Canadians now use seat belts, and at least 75% use car seats.

In prior posts, we’ve also compared proposed mandatory lifejacket/PFD laws Canada with laws surrounding bicycle helmets. We’ve pointed out the inconsistent response to bicycle helmets vs. lifejacket/PFDs in recreational boating as a matter of child public safety. Lifejackets and PFDs are not required to be worn by children in recreational boating.

Child safety regulations are effective in preventing injury and death in children. This is a statistical fact.

Join us in our efforts to change the Small Vessel Regulations to make Lifejackets/PFDs mandatory for children in recreational boating.

To sign our petition go to: Sign our Petition

To write to your MP go to: We’ve Made it Easy to Write to Your MP

Change the law. Save a Life.

Sources:
Sen, Anindya and Mizzen, Brent; Estimating the Impact of Seat Belt Use on Traffic Fatalities: Empirical Evidence from Canada; Canadian Public Policy – Analyse de Politiques, vol. XXXIII, No. 3 2007 at 315. See: https://uwaterloo.ca/economics/sites/ca.economics/files/uploads/files/To%20Encourage%20or%20Not%20to%20Encourage%20Seat%20Belt%20Use%20Simultaneity%20Bias%20and%20Offsetting%20Behaviour.pdf
Canadian Public Health Organization; Child Passenger Safety and Injury Prevention; at https://www.cpha.ca/child-passenger-safety-and-injury-prevention#f12;