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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, May 10, 2013 | 6 Editorial Buckling up precious cargo If your family vehicle had a traf c accident tomorrow, how protected from serious or fatal injury would your children be? Are you sure? The most recent child car seat safety spot check clinic held last weekend by Halton police found that of 95 child car seats travelling in vehicles through an Oakville intersection last weekend, 78 per cent were improperly installed. Even more disturbing than those gures is the fact car seat blitzes by Halton police have consistently revealed the majority of motorists with child car seats and booster seats aren't installing the safety devices correctly or are using the wrong seat for the age and size of child passenger. There were even a few cases last weekend in which vehicles stopped with children in them had no car seats at all. Of course, charges were laid. In spring 2010, a Milton car seat spot check found that more than half (53 per cent) of 186 child seats were not properly installed. In the fall of 2011, another Oakville spot check by Halton police found an inspection failure rate of 70 per cent among 75 cars checked for the child safety devices. Yet another Oakville car seat spot check last spring revealed a 76 per cent failure rate. A Burlington safety clinic held last fall found 70 per cent of 122 car seats inspected were either installed incorrectly, were not approved for use in Canada or were being used by children who had outgrown their car seat, or who were too small to use a booster seat. According to Halton police, the proper use of car seats and booster seats can reduce the risk of a child being seriously injured or killed in a collision by 75 per cent. Those odds will drop dramatically if a child is using a safety seat inappropriate for their size (height and weight) and age, or the seat is not properly installed. Transport Canada's website states, "The safety of children travelling in vehicles is very important to Transport Canada." Child car seats (also called child restraints) make road travel safer for a child. They keep a child in place, so that in a sudden stop or crash, your child has increased protection. This will reduce the chances of serious injury or even death. It's time for some parents to wake up. Failure rates nearing 80 per cent are disgraceful. Residents who need assistance with child car seat installation are encouraged to call 3-1-1 for more information. It's one call that could prevent a senseless and preventable tragedy. "Connected to your Community" 467 Speers Road, Oakville ON, L6K 3S4 General Inquiries: (905) 845-3824 Editorial Department: (905) 632-0588 Fax: (905) 337-5566 Classi ed Advertising: (905) 632-4440 Circulation: 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington (905) 631-6095 Volume 51 | Number 56 The Oakville Beaver is a division of Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Vice ­President and Group Publisher of Metroland West Regional General Manager Halton Region Editor in Chief Advertising Director NEIL OLIVER DAVID HARVEY JILL DAVIS DANIEL BAIRD Managing Editor ANGELA BLACKBURN RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director Business Manager Director of Production SANDY PARE MARK DILLS MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager Buy a rain barrel to see savings flow Gary Carr Halton Regional Chair My View Director of Distribution CHARLENE HALL KIM MOSSMAN Circulation Manager This spring, Halton Region is holding the fth annual rain barrel truckload sales event to encourage wise outdoor water use by Halton residents. Residents can purchase a rain barrel for their home at a cost of $40, cash only, at any of the truckload sales events. Rain barrels are a valuable water conservation tool. By diverting water from a downspout into a rain barrel, residents are able to catch rain water and store it for future use during hot, dry weather to water their garden, owers and shrubs. Conserving water is especially important in the summer months when water consumption can often double from an increase in activities such as lawn watering and garden maintenance. Since the rst Halton Region rain barrel truckload sales in 2009, more than 16,500 rain barrels have been sold, which at full use have the potential to save a combined total of more than three million litres of tap water. The rain barrel truckload sales event in Oakville will run from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at Halton Regional Centre, 1151 Bronte Rd. Additional rain barrel truckload sales events are scheduled at the following locations: · Saturday, May 25 -- Milton GO Station Parking Lot, 780 Main Street East, Milton (from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.) · Saturday, June 8 -- Mapleview Mall, 900 Maple Ave., Burlington (from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) For more information about the rain barrel truckload sales events or the water ef ciency program, please access Halton Region at by dialing 311 or visiting www.halton.ca/ waterconservation. As always, feel free to e-mail me at gary. carr@halton.ca. Proud Official Media Sponsor For: Canadian Circulations Audit Board Member Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community Newspapers Association Proud Official Media Sponsor For: The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to: The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville ON, L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to: ablackburn@oakvillebeaver. com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone 416-340-1981. 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