Child Passenger Safety in Nova Scotia

							Child Passenger Safety in Nova
            Scotia

              Kim Mundle
              Child Safety Link
              IWK Health Centre
Child Safety Link

   The injury prevention program of the IWK
    Health Centre, the children’s hospital serving
    New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince
    Edward Island
   Child Passenger Safety leading focus
   Provincial Coordinator of the Nova Scotia Child
    Safety Seat Strategy
Child Safety Seat Strategy

   Funding for Nova Scotia from October 2005
   NS Department of Health Promotion and
    Protection
   NS Department of Transportation and
    Infrastructure Renewal
   1 full-time staff + assistance of other staff
Nova Scotia History

   Car Seat advocates offering clinics since 1980’s
   Nova Scotia Safety Council
   Training from ITSA in 1990’s
   Cooperator’s Buckle Up Bears in 5+ towns
   St. John Ambulance 2003
   Child Safety Link 2005
Currently

   St. John Ambulance—no Car Seat Safety
    Coordinator—CRST books only
   20 Courses taught in 15 communities since
    2005
   Approximately 200 technicians, not all active
   8 instructors, 6 more interested
   1 instructor trainer, not active
Public Health

   Active role
   Technicians in every health district
   Gradually developing coalitions, offering clinics
   Individual education to clients
   Inclusion of messages in prenatal classes
   Distribute booklet “A Parent’s Guide to Car
    Seats”
Buckle Up Bears

 Clinics in Yarmouth every few months
 Collaborate with police, health, car dealerships
 New Cooperator’s office in Cole Harbour
(suburb of Halifax/Dartmouth)—1st clinic May 09
 Antigonish office no longer conducting clinics
Passionate individuals

   Success is dependent on key individuals in
    Truro, New Glasgow, Bridgewater, Halifax
   Often as volunteers or as an addition to their
    jobs
   Presentations to prenatal classes, booths at
    health fairs, distributing postcards and booklets
   Babies to Boosters: Booster Passport project
January 2007

   Legislation updated to include booster seats
    and rear-facing to one year and 10 kg
   Promotion throughout 2006
   Television advertising
   Postcards
   Toll-free line
   Website
   Education sessions for police, wallet card
Other resources

   “A Parent’s Guide to Car Seats” given after
    every birth and available through Public Health
   Growth chart
   Promotion of “Kids that Click”—hard copy and
    online
   Toll free line continues
   Appointments at the hospital
Technician Network

   Keep in touch by email and newsletters
   Provide telephone support
   I supervise clinics when they need it.
   Need to improve connections between techs in
    local communities so that they can work
    together.
Challenges to increasing correct
use

   Cannot provide an appointment to everyone
   Clinics are attracting the middle income, better
    educated, less needy
   Need to provide tools for most to “do it
    themselves”
   Messages aimed at the broad population
   Focus individual attention on high risk groups
    (low literacy, ESL, young, other issues)
Challenges re the technician
program

   Need clarification of St. John Ambulance’s role
    re technician program, certification of
    instructors
   Liability insurance
   Updates, news on car seats
   Local groups—funds, volunteer maintenance,
    maintaining involvement of professionals
Contact information

        Kim Mundle
        Car Seat Safety Specialist
        Child Safety Link
        IWK Health Centre
        Halifax, Nova Scotia
        kim.mundle@iwk.nshealth.ca
        1-866-288-1388, ext. 1