A District Response officer of Halton Police (HRPS) had luck on his side when he stopped a driver for speeding on Tuesday. The driver was traveling at the speed of 108 km/h in a 60 km/h zone.
After walking up to the driver, the officer spotted a five-year-old child sitting in the backseat without a seatbelt.
The driver then had their license suspended for 30 days and car impounded for 14 days. They have also been summoned to court.
District Response Officer stopped this driver for speeding 108km/hr in a posted 60 km/hr zone. While speaking to the driver, the officer observed a 5 y/o child not wearing a seatbelt. Driver summonsed to court, licence suspended 30 days and car impounded 14 days. #RoadSafety ^JW pic.twitter.com/f7pz0tsuHb
— HRPS Oakville (@HRPSOak) August 1, 2023
According to the HRPS, properly installed child safety seats save lives. It has been proven that using a child safety seat properly can reduce the chances of a child being killed or injured by 75%.
In Ontario, it is legislated that all children that fall within these criteria must be secured in a car seat:
- Children up to eight years old,
- Children weighing less than 80lbs. (36 kgs.), and/or
- Children less than 4'9" (145 cm.) in height.
- Some exemptions apply with taxis and vehicles transporting for hire.
Once the child has reached 80lbs, and is over 4' 9'', they may graduate to a Seatbelt position providing the seatbelt sits at the correct spot across the child's chest.
In order to properly restrain a child, you must ensure that:
- The child must be secured properly in a child safety seat
- The child safety seat must be properly installed in the vehicle
For specific information regarding your particular Infant/Child Restraint System (CRS), please contact your manufacturer who will be able to answer any questions pertaining to your CRS restraint system.
For additional safety seat resources, you can visit Ontario Ministry of Transportation's Choose the right child car seat page or Halton Region's Car Seat Safety.