During this week, the Safety Team visited towns competing in the SGI seatbelt challenge, an event held each year to encourage seatbelt use. This first visit was a traveling car seat safety clinic.
This year the towns involved include Carlyle, Oxbow, Carnduff, Radville and Redvers.
The winner of this contest is determined by two roadside safety surveys measuring seatbelt usage rates in each participating town. These surveys are used to tally the community with the highest usage rate, and the winner will earn up to $50,000 to be used towards road safety improvements.
The SGI seat belt challenge began in 2008, and has been helping raise seatbelt usage across the province ever since.
SGI and its RCMP partners think that car seats are an important start, to begin teaching your children about buckling up.
Having your child's car seat checked by a trained technician at an SGI Car Seat Clinic is the surest way to know you're doing it properly. These events are held across Saskatchewan, for free, and are aimed at ensuring the safety of your kids. The events do not involve a scolding for doing it wrong, but rather teach the knowledge to do it right.
During your visit, a technician will not only check your car seat's safety and ensure it is properly installed, but will also demonstrate how your child should be secured in the seat.
Although no one turned out at the May 7 event in Carlyle, parents may phone the RCMP in Carlyle and book an appointment with Karen Wyatt, a trained technician in car seat safety.
"We aren't going to assume you are a bad parent if you car seat isn't properly installed," said Pam Bilusack, a representative who came from Regina for the clinic. "We will know that you want to ensure the safety of your kids."
The SGI safety crew can be booked for a number of other events, which include town rodeos, holiday events, carnivals as well as any other public happening.
So buckle up, you never know who is watching, and what is in it for our community.
