The traffic safety focus for the month of November is Occupant Restraints, particularly child safety seats.

Wearing a seatbelt is one of the simplest, yet most important decisions drivers and passengers can make to protect themselves in a vehicle. It’s also crucial that infants and young children are properly restrained in car seats or booster seats.

Occupant restraints facts:

• From 2018 to 2022, there were 202 unbelted fatalities in Alberta.
• In 2022, people involved in collisions who used restraints had a much lower injury rate (8.9%) than those who did not use restraints (14.4%).
• Drivers are responsible for ensuring children under the age of 16 are properly secured and could face a $162 fine for not doing so.
• Children younger than 6 years old who weigh less than 18kg (40lbs) must be in a properly installed child safety seat.
• Children are safest in a rear-facing car seat until they are at least 2 years old. Once they are at least 2 years old, children can move to a forward-facing car seat.
• Once a child is at least 6 or weighs at least 18kg, they should be in a booster seat. While not required by law, booster seats are highly recommended because they help position a child, so the seat belt fits properly. Without a booster seat, a child is three and a half times more likely to suffer a significant injury.
• A child is safest in the back seat until they are at least 13.

For more information contact:

Sgt. Stacey Fishley
Traffic Unit
Medicine Hat Police Service
Ph: 403-529-8471