Family First
how to protect loved ones in
your car and on the road
By RoBin SchRoffel
laSt SeptemBeR ,
a six-year-old was left
unattended in a parked car outside a
Saskatchewan strip mall. The vehicle
was stolen with her inside, triggering
an Amber alert that extended across
Western Canada. Though she was later
found safe, the incident was a wake-up
call for all parents.
Abductions like this are uncommon,
but the incident shines a light on the
potential dangers that arise when your
family gets into a vehicle. “Driving is
such a staple of our regular routine
that it’s sometimes easy to forget the
Use with
CaUtion
keep your car
safe to keep
your family safe
14
spring 2019
CAA saskatchewan
risks,” says Christine Niemczyk, dir-
ector of communications at CAA
Saskatchewan. “A lot can happen when
a child is left alone—even for a few
minutes.” And the risks grow once
the vehicle hits the road: In 2016,
60 Canadians aged 14 and under died
in collisions; 400 more were severely
injured.
There’s a lot you can do, however,
to mitigate the danger. A good start:
Ensuring your car is road-worthy and
minimizing distractions while you
drive. From there, Niemczyk offers
get an upgrade Stay on top of maintenance Lock it down the key to Safety
advanced features,
like electronic
stability control
and automatic
emergency braking,
make newer vehicles
safer than older ones. ensure your regular oil
change routine includes
a thorough inspection by a
licensed technician. a free
inspection is included at
the Caa Car Care Centre at
regina Battery depot. Loose, heavy
items can become
projectiles in an
accident. store
them in the back/
trunk whenever
possible. even without a key
fob in the vehicle,
the car will keep
running until it runs
out of gas or the
driver shuts off
the vehicle.
andreyPoPov/istoCk
auto iq
even more tips for family-vehicle safety.
Use safe and appropriately sized
child restraints. A properly installed
car seat or booster seat can decrease
fatality risk by 71 percent. Yet
according to a 2010 survey, only
64 percent of Canadian drivers use
child restraints correctly. Laws vary
by province, but it’s generally agreed
that children should be secured in car
seats or booster seats until they are
36 kg (80 lbs) and 145 cm (4'9"). Car
seats have expiry dates, and should
be checked regularly for wear. Look
for the National Safety Mark, which
means the seat has been certified for
use in Canada.
Keep pets secured too: A loose pet
is dangerous and distracting to the
driver. Pets should be placed in a crate
that’s secured to the floor. Alternatively,
a vehicle harness can ensure dogs stay
out of the front seat.
Never leave a child unattended.
Abduction risk aside and depending
on conditions, the temperature and
carbon monoxide level within your
vehicle can change quickly, causing
injury or worse. Take advantage of
services like pay-at-the-pump so your
child is always close by.
Above all, don’t become complacent.
“The number-one factor in collisions
is driver error,” Niemczyk says, adding
that while many people regularly
invest time and money in career-
related continuing education, few do
the same for their driving skills. Even
experienced drivers can benefit from
occasional lessons that pinpoint areas
for improvement, teach season-specific
skills, or tackle the rules of the road.
While we can never completely
eliminate the risks associated with
driving, we all have the power to take
simple steps to protect our loved ones.
To learn more: caask.ca/safety.