Free child car safety seat clinics offered June to October

EDMONTON – Beginning this month, the public is invited to attend free child car safety seat inspection clinics with certified Child Safety Seat Technicians (CSTs) to confirm their children are travelling as safely as possible while in the family vehicle.

Presented by Alberta Health Services (AHS) Edmonton Zone and the Edmonton Police Service (EPS), the free clinics will teach families how to correctly choose, install and use child safety seats in their vehicles. Prior to arrival at a clinic, participants are first asked to install their child car seat to the best of their ability and to ensure their child is secured in the seat. This allows the CSTs to properly assess your child's car seat and to offer advice and recommendations.

Participants are also asked to bring their child car seat manual and vehicle owner's manual to the clinic.

Clinics will be held on the second Thursday of the month at Edmonton recreation centres around the city through October.

The upcoming June clinic will be held on June 9 at the Terwillegar Community Recreation Centre (2051 Leger Road), from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

July, August, September and October dates and locations will be announced later this summer.

For those unable to attend one of the clinics at a recreation centre, AHS public health staff will also be offering car seat inspections at various public health centres around Edmonton Zone in the months to come. Parents are encouraged to bring their child with the car seat installed in their vehicle, as well as the car seat manual.

• Monday, June 20:
  • Northeast Community Health Centre (14007 50 St.) from 9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
  • West Jasper Place Public Health Centre (9720 182 St.) from 1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
• Friday, July 22:
  • Northgate Centre (9499 137 Ave.) from 9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
  • Woodcroft Public Health Centre (13221 115 Ave.) from 1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
• Monday, August 22:
  • Leduc Public Health Centre (4219 50 St.) & Devon Public Health Centre (101 Erie St.) from 9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
  • Beaumont Public Health Centre (4918 50 Ave.) & Thorsby Public Health Centre (4825 Hankin St.) from 1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
• Friday, September 23:
  • Twin Brooks Public Health Centre (1110 113 St.) & East Edmonton Health Centre (7910 112 Ave.) from 9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
  • Rutherford Public Health Centre (11153 Ellerslie Rd.) & WestView Health Centre (4405 South Park Drive) from 1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

In Alberta, all children weighing less than 18 kilograms (40 pounds) and under six years of age must be secured in an appropriate child safety seat that is properly installed in the vehicle.

Proper use of a child safety seat has been shown to reduce the likelihood of a child being injured or killed in a motor vehicle accident by as much as 71 per cent.

For more information on child safety seats go to MyHealth.Alberta.

Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.