Education

There are a variety of resources available in Alberta to teach about seat belts, booster seats and/or child safety seats. Click on one of the following links to find the best information for the target group you are trying to reach:


Parents, expectant parents and caregivers of babies and young children (includes ticketed drivers, day care staff, day home operators)

People who care for little ones want and need to learn about:

  • The law in Alberta.
  • Choosing the right child safety seat or booster seat for a child.
  • How to use the seat correctly.
  • When a child should move to a different type of seat.


The following resources can be used to teach Option 4 sessions for drivers ticketed for incorrect restraint of a passenger under 16 years of age. The same resources can be used to teach other groups about buckling children up safely from birth through elementary school:


Parents of school-age children (four to nine years old)


There is a lack of awareness among parents and families about the role of boosters in keeping kids safe during vehicle travel. A recent study by Safe Kids Canada indicated that three-quarters of Canadian parents with children 4-9 years old don't use booster seats. Of these:

  • 42% believed that their child was too big for a booster
  • 23% thought that their child didn't need a booster to be safe
  • 19% felt their child was too old for a booster.


Booster seats are the safest choice for children who have outgrown their toddler seat (at a minimum of 40 lb (18 kg)). For children under 9 years of age, the Alberta government recommends that booster seats be used until a weight of 80 pounds (36 kg) or a height of 4'9" (145 cm) is reached.


Teachers and other professionals are in an ideal position to teach about the importance of booster seat use and address misconceptions. Go to Resources to download booster seat resources to educate parents, caregivers and children about booster seats.


Teens and adults


The following resources can be used to teach about the Engineered Life Space designed into vehicles and the importance of buckling for every trip:

  • Engineered Life Space & Seat Belts .  A PowerPoint presentation developed by AORP in 2006.

  • AORP Instructor's Manual (June 2006). A guide for presenters. Module 1 of this Manual gives teaching tips for a �Engineered Life Space & Seat Belts� presentation

  • Drive to Survive An educational video providing information on; types of collisions, collision dynamics, what is the engineered life space, how does it work during a collision, consequences of collisions. (video may take several minutes to load).