Car crashes are one of the leading causes of accidental death among children in B.C., according to a press release from the B.C. Automobile Association.
An average of 1,300 children under the age of nine are seriously injured and three are killed each year in motor vehicle crashes. To help keep kids safe on B.C. roads, the association has launched its Community Child Car Seat Program, in partnership with the United Way of the Lower Mainland.
"Providing child car seats is a way of ensuring families and other caregivers are able to transport their kids safely and will help children survive a crash that otherwise may have caused serious injury or worse," said Tim Condon, the association's president and CEO, in the release. "Our aim is to donate at least one child car seat on behalf of each BCAA employee."
The program will provide child car seats to non-profit agencies and community groups and put up to 1,000 kids in child car seats this year and each year for the length of the program.
The organization is contributing $100,000 to the Community Child Car Seat Program, purchasing as many as 1,000 child car seats each year for the next five years.
The association will work with the United Way of the Lower Mainland to distribute child car seats to eligible non-profit agencies and community programs throughout the province to use within their existing programs or to give to families in their communities with children under the age of nine.
"United Way is dedicated to creating caring, supportive and inclusive communities. We invest in services that help nurture children and strengthen families. This initiative supports families who need a little extra help," said Michael McKnight, president and CEO of United Way of the Lower Mainland, in the release.
Non-profit agencies and community programs that work with families with
children under the age of nine are invited to participate in the program by applying through United Way of the Lower Mainland.
Applications are being accepted until May 14 and car seats will be distributed to eligible organizations in September.
Go to uwlm.ca/community-child-car-seat-program to apply.
To ensure the safety of child passengers, BCAA offers parents, guardians and caregivers the following advice when transporting children in cars:
? Put children in the back seat.
? Use the proper child car seat for the child's weight and height.
? Ensure the child car or booster seat is installed and used correctly in the vehicle. Not attaching the seat correctly in the vehicle, having the seatbelt too loose, or putting the harness in the wrong position can lessen the effectiveness of the car seat.
For more information on child passenger safety or to find a link to apply to the Community Child Car Seat Program, go to BCAARoadSafety.com.
