Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/162450
president's message The Child Seat Commitment Did you know it is estimated that nearly five per cent of British Columbians do not use a child car seat when transporting children? This is a frightening statistic considering that car crashes are one of the leading causes of accidental death among children in B.C. A correctly used child car or booster seat is proven to be the most effective tool in reducing the risk of child injury or death on our roads. A significant factor in families not having access to a safe child car seat is cost. Some simply can't afford to buy a child car seat, which can cost several hundred dollars. Many will buy one second-hand but, without knowing the history of a child car seat, the only way to ensure safety and proper functionality is to buy a new one. With the many challenges facing families today, having a child car seat to safely transport their children should not be one of them. To help B.C. families transport their children safely, through the BCAA Road Safety Foundation, we introduced our Community Child Car Seat Program in April in partnership with the United Way of the Lower Mainland. Our goal is to invest $100,000 annually for the next five years putting up to 1,000 kids in child car seats each year, who otherwise may have gone without. Non-profit agencies and community groups across the province that work with children aged nine and under were invited to participate in the program. The United Way's widespread presence in B.C. communities and dedication to helping families with young children will make sure the child car seats are going to the programs and families that need them most. In this first year of the program, the applications flooded in with expressions of need identified by the community groups that applied: from a young mother with a toddler and newborn twins who's not sure how she'll transport her three children to activities and daycare, to First Nations parents living in an outlying area without access to a child car seat, to a new Canadian family who isn't sure where to begin when it comes to child passenger safety. We quickly realized the need was greater than anticipated and there was opportunity for us to help even more. This year, BCAA is: A correctly used child car or booster seat is proven to be the most effective tool in reducing the risk of child injury or death on our roads 6 Westworld p06-07_PresMessage.indd 6 >> • nearly tripling – to almost $300,000 – our initial investment in the program; • providing more than 3,300 child car seats to community groups; • helping ensure that as many as 3,300 children will have access to a child car seat who otherwise may have gone without. BCAA is committed to making a real difference by helping create safer roads for British Columbians. Through our Community Child Car Seat Program, more families and caregivers are able to transport children correctly. This is one way we'll help keep children safe while travelling on our roads. We couldn't do this without you, our Members. We are grateful for your support and your continued ba. Membership with us. Thank you! Tim Condon President and CEO, BCAA fa l l 2 0 1 3 13-08-19 1:02 PM