There are fewer car seat clinics being held by the Grey Bruce Health Unit this year. Program Manager of Family Health, Sarah Ellis says there is a reason. They want to educate parents on how to install the seats themselves properly, rather than relying on someone else to do it for them. She says the focus will shift to pro-empt improper installation through education. Ellis says while numbers have dwindled at clinics, more importantly, they are seeing the same types of errors at the clinics. She says parents need to take the time to read the owners manual of both their vehicle….AND the restraint seat and install the seat themselves, instead of relying on someone else to do it for them. The health unit will be holding two new types of clinics in the fall to help with this new pro-active approach. One will be geared towards parents to BE…the other towards caregivers. In a recent blitz on Highway 21, Ellis says 3 child restraints were found to be American, while 2 others had expired. Ellis reminds parents it is the law to have a CSA approved seat if you reside in Canada, and have a seat that is no older than 10 years. A complete list of clinics put on by the Health Unit is available on their website at www.publichealthgreybruce.on.ca. If you want to know if your seat is installed properly, and there is not a clinic near you anytime soon, public health will set you up with someone to make sure it is.
