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t ) 10 -- Secu Citizen -- Tu Jul, If you love your chiidren -- then buckle them up! In a recent TV movie called _ 'Children of the Bride', a soapy comedy more effective than most brands of sleeping pills, there was one sceng. that made the Viewer cringe. A loving father was kis his family to their grandmother's wedding. Dad was driving, with his eldest daughter (between 8 and 10 years old) snuggled up beside him -- on his: LEFT, between him and the 'door, Of all things, she was helping him DRIVE. . On the surface, it wasa pleas- ant scene, But then you think -- what would happen if the pick-up truck had to stop suddenly? What would happen if the driver's side was struck by another car? The lis tle girl would be flung through the windshield like a rag doll. That pleasant family scene would sud- denly be transformed into some- thing gruesome, something tragic. If that 'loving father' really cared about his daughter, he . would have buckled her up, on her own side of the seat. : But that's just a movie. In real life, do you know where your chil- dren are?. If you don't buckle up * * your children in the car, you don't know where they will end up in a collision. They might still be sitting on the seat or on your lap when you reach your destination, but there's also the chance they will be pustied into the dashboard, thrown through the windshield and be underngath someone's tires. Half of the smal] children killed each year in Ontario motor vehicle crashes die because they were unrestrained or buckled in improperly. Even without a collision, unbuckled olildren fall out of cars and onto the road. In crashes -- even at low speeds, -- "unbuckled + children are ejected from vehicles or tossed around inside. Transport Canada statistics show that in 1989 nearly.60 per cent of children under age five and more than 70 per cent of child: In crash testing, male and female volunteers were belted into vehicle seats and given an eight- kilogram (17-pound) dummy rep- resenting a six-month old baby. They knew they would feel the simulated force of a crash at 24 kilometres' per hour dnd yet none of them, even with this warning, could hold onto thé baby. "Whenever I review collision records, I'm always distressed to see that youngsters were killed or badly injured when a proper child restraint could have saved the par: ents such heartache," says Ms Bisgrove. _ "Parents have. to realize that, though a child might cry and refuse to bend to sit in the seat, children do not understand safety and are reliant on the parents to protect them." Ms Bisgrove offers these tips for parents: *To protect a newborn until he or she becomes a toddler (nine kg or 20 lbs) you must use the seat belt to fasten the child saféty seat rear-facing in the vehicle. With the harness straps snugly over the shoulders, and the buck- les fastened, the baby will 'ride down' sudden stops. *Once a child is more than nine kg, they can travel forward facing. The wide harness straps spread the forces of impact over the bony structure of a toddler's body, *Avoid potential head injuries in a crash by connecting the tether strap (found at the top ofa for- ward facing child safety seats) to a special bolt attached to th body. This essential b&ft can be easily installed in just minutes by either you or, for a nominal cost, by your car's manufacturer or a local garage. *Don't move a child out of a safety seat too soon. Children should switch to booster seats or lap belts only when they are at least 18 kg. (40 1bs) or when their head is two-thirds above Ye back of the seat." *If a child frequently undoes : the car seat buckles, try re-thread- ing the straps so the buckles face {an You could also buy a seat ith an arm rest so the child can't reach the buckles as easily. *Don't encourage toddlers to do up their own harnesses as this also encourages them to undo the straps. "*If a shoulder belt falls across a" child's face or neck, put it behind their back, not under an arm. You might want to use a 'car booster seat to raise the child up higher for better positioning of the belt, as -well as a better view for the child. *Never buckle up two children in the same belt. In a collision, they could be thrown together, crushing the smaller child. *Never use household booster$ or cushions in, a car. There are specially designed car booster seats that are safe for use in cars. *When buying a car seat, make sire it will fit in your car, even when you raise the arm rest. Also make sure it wjll be Jorge enough to fit your child when hé or she is four years old and wearing bulky winter clothes. *Buy a car seat that is easy to use to ensure, that you buckle up your child every time. If it is diffi- cult or time-consuming to fasten, you might not use it for shorter trips. Short trips near home are + where most collisions occur. *Do not buy a second-hand car seat. if it has-been in.a collision. Avoid seats made before May 1984. *Read the manufacturer's directions instead .of relying on Karen Draper of Blackstock buckles In her young son, Eric. Two weeks ago, I men- tioned that Reduction is the "R" in the 3R's wasje reduction hierarchy. Reduciion means buying only what we need and .. choosing ject poor quality, disposablgf packaging and excessively packaged products (since this extra packaging or the item itself will wind up in the dump) It may also mean renting or share large items that are used only on occasion. This week, 'Art of reduction today will still be kicking around 200 or more years from - NOW. Try to minimize or avoid altogether the purchase of dis- posable products-such as paper towels, disposable diapers and so on. Ignore claimg about "biodegradable" or "com postable" diapers. They will not biodegrade, nor are they being composted anywhere around ky I the environment friends' advice when installi your particular car seat. A friend might have a different type or might have installed their own incorrectly. o The -Canadian Automobile Association has specially trained staff who can provide information regarding child safety seats. Contact your local office or call 1- 800-268-7068. under one year old were not prop- . erly restrained in Ontario. Far too many babies killed in crashes were sitting on laps before their death. "In a car, a lap is nq place for a baby," says Barbara Bisgrove, the head of a safety policy at the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, explaining that no one can hold onto a'baby in a crash and that the child will be thrown forward head first until 'they hit something like the dash or windshield. SAVE up to * Upholstery (Marine & Auto) * * Auto & Safety Glass * Plexi & Lexan Gldss * Upholstery. Road, north of Pickering. 1980 Volk Fatal crash A 20-year Whitby man was killed July 23 when the car in which he was a passenger went out of control and rolled on the Brock Regional Police said James Deakin was in the back seat of a driven by Mel ag! minor injuries. was treated for cuts and bruises and released from Trevor Townsend, 19, of Ajax, also a passenger in the back seat is in Sunnybrook Hospital in fair condition. Another passenger, Kim Adarhs, 19, of Ajax was treated for Durham Police said the accid i¢ Bentley, 22 of Pickering. She hospital unr in 5 i) We also replace Headlig SUNROOFS! TRUCK SLIDER! CELLULAR PHONES! BOX LINERS! RUNNING BOARDS! hts BE: on any one WINDSHIELD Insurance Claim with most insurance ccmpanies with this coupon at time of purchase. A---------------- ORT PERRY . to glass & trim nd, 985-8507 | (Restaurant, Chairs, Kitchen, Office) 139 WATER STREET & 6 HIGH STREET, PORT PERRY _ janet banting I'm going to talk about some of the things we can try to avoid buying and next week will offer alternatives. To practise reduction effec- tively, you need to develop the habit, while shopping, of asking yourself how much garbage the "items you buy will create. . If they have loads of packag- ing and/or come in plastic, try to avoid them. Buy in contzin- ers that'recyclable i.e., glass or tin, and avoid plastics until we have a recycling program for it locally. With ketchup, for example, buy one plastic dis- penser bottle, then re-fill it after that frm a glass jar. Don't be fooled by the recy- cling "Mobius loop" seen on so many things these days. If we have no program. here in Durham Region for this, then it really is not recyclable for us. Styrofoam trays may have a stamp declaring they are 'ozone friendly," but they are still just garbage, Avoid them where possible. ' It may help if you keep in mind that styrofoam does not break down--ever. The piece you throw out here. | After reading a host of arti- , cles about disposable diapers, I've seen just one group come ec out in their favour: the compe nies that sell them. Other products you are drink boxes, pud plastic cups, lunch other convenience fi that are over-packaged or eri- als that are neither re- nor reclyable. Alternatives do exist. Many It may help a bit if I men the fact that Reduction will you money. Many of the venience items are expensi because of the Mckaging on them, and also because. of all the processing they. have been through. ' When we avoid them, we help not only the environment, but also 'our pocket-books. FORDER 34 Water Street, Port Perry, Ontario LIL 1)2 985-8471 PERSONAL ATTENTION TO ALL OF - PARKS SURANCE BROKERS INC. YOUR GENERAL INSURANCE NEEDS