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NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
Eight NWT residents are working to keep children safe after recently becoming certified child car seat technicians.

Village of Fort Simpson SAO Sebastien Goyer, left, and bylaw officer Stephanie Cudmore were among the eight NWT residents recently trained to be certified child car seat technicians. - Miranda Scotland/NNSL photo

During a three-day course, participants learned how to properly install a child car seat and about some of the common mistakes parents make when putting in the seats.

Technician Melanie Kearley, who is also a public health nurse in Fort Smith, said she plans to pass the knowledge onto residents in her hometown through clinics and her daily work. It's important to make sure children are safe when riding in the car, Kearley said.

"They say most vehicle crashes happen pretty close to home," she said. "We don't have a big, high accident rate in Fort Smith but you never know."

The technicians, who are from Fort Simpson, Fort Smith, Hay River and Yellowknife, were trained under the Child Occupant Restraint Education (CORE) program as part of the territory's Healthy Choices initiative.

More residents from other communities are expected to take the course in the new year.

On Nov. 9, the technicians applied their newly-learned skills at Canadian Tire. GNWT spokesperson James MacKenzie said the event was a success.

"The ones that they did check, all of the ones were done improperly so they corrected those car seats and even told somebody that the car seat they had was completely wrong for their child," he said, adding those interventions could potentially save a life. "Most accidents where children are injured (are) due to the incorrect use of child safety restraints."

Plus under the Motor Vehicles Act, NWT residents can be fined $230 and two demerit points for failing to secure a child properly.

Sebastien Goyer, a technician and SAO for the village of Fort Simpson, said he understands how overwhelming it can be to look for car seats. There are so many products on the market it is hard for parents to know what seat is right for their child, the new father said, adding there are a few things residents should keep in mind.

"What is the best car seat?" Goyer said. "The best car seat is something that will fit your kid properly with weight, height, it's not going to be too complicated for you to install and it fits properly in your car."

Meanwhile, he said, the safest position for the seat is in the middle back seat. Also, the child car seat should face backwards until the kid is about 18 months, then the child should be put in a forward facing seat followed by a booster seat. Parents may think the booster seat isn't needed, but Goyer said it's important.

"The child may not be tall enough for the shoulder seat belt," said Goyer. "If the kid is too small the pelvic belt will raise up and that could damage internal organs if the crash is severe. It could cause other problems, bone-structure-wise, you could dislocate a rib, if it's too close over to the neck it could cut you."

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