As a part-time firefighter for more than 12 years, I have responded to many other types of emergencies, including vehicle accidents.
The number-one cause of accidental deaths in Canada is vehicle accidents, with trips and falls second.
Wearing a seat belt in Ontario is the law! Yet many people still avoid buckling up. They fail to take the time to ensure their safety and the safety of others–including children.
How many times do you see children riding in a vehicle and not wearing a seat belt? In fact, because it happens all the time, you probably don’t notice.
You see some children unbuckled and playing in the back seat while the vehicle is in motion. In other cases, you see parents/caregivers holding a child on their lap, thinking the child is safe and secure in their hands because “We’re just riding around town.”
Police do campaigns and promote the wearing of seat belts but many people still do not follow this wise advice.
Here’s another fact. Some 97 percent of parents/caregivers who use child safety seats and safety belts believe they are using them correctly.
But Transport Canada’s 1992 statistics reveal four out of 10 Canadian children are either not buckled in their car seats or safety belts while the vehicle is in transit, or the restraints are the wrong size or improperly installed.
As a firefighter, I can honestly say in all my years of responding to vehicle accidents, I have never unbuckled a dead person!
Fact: If you never need what you learn about personal safety, you have lost nothing. If you never learn what you need, you may lose everything–your family and your life!
