Child Passenger Safety in Saskatchewan Travis Holeha Child Traffic Safety Coordinator Saskatchewan P

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Child Passenger Safety in SaskatchewanTravis
HolehaChild Traffic Safety CoordinatorSaskatchew
an Prevention Institute
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• The Saskatchewan Prevention Institute is a
  non-profit organization that receives its funding
  from government and community based sources.

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• Child Traffic Safety Coordinator
• Funded through SGI
• Child Injury Prevention Program Coordinator
• Funded through the ABI Partnership Program, a
  partnership between Saskatchewan Health and SGI

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Roles of the Provincial Agencies

• SGI
• Provides materials and promotion of the clinics
• through Radio, newspaper advertisement (proper
  promotion required at least 3 weeks notification)
• Development and distribution of resources
• Provides funding for program

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Roles of the Provincial Agencies

• Saskatchewan Prevention Institute
• Organization of Technician trainings
• Continuing education (e.g. Newsletter, yearly
  Updates)
• Development and distribution of resources
• Organization of clinics
• Record keeping (database, clinics, requirements
  for re-certification)

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Roles of the Provincial Agencies

• Transportation Centre, U of S
• Joseph Chan
• Provides expertise
• St. John Ambulance
• Provides Technician certificates

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Saskatchewans Child Passenger Safety Program

• First training in 1999
• Saskatchewan presently has
• 2 Instructor-Trainers
• 19 Instructors
• 232 Technicians
• An average of 4 Technician trainings are held
  each year

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Continuing Education

• Newsletters
• Three yearly newsletters containing training
  refreshers, new seats and features, new
  resources, new research, information notices,
  etc.
• Yearly Updates

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2008 Clinic Year Stats

• 2201 seats were checked at 101 Clinicsin 62
  communities and 870 seats checked by appointment

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Provincial Car Seat Clinic Evaluation

• Primary Research Questions
• Do caregivers report a greater awareness of
  proper methods of installing car seats and
  securing children in the seats after attending a
  clinic?
• Do caregivers report modifying their behaviour
  with regard to installing car seats and securing
  children one month after attending a clinic?

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Evaluation Methodology

• Pre and post surveys
• One for rear facing seats and one for forward
  facing seats
• Multiple choice
• Phone survey
• Completed one month after clinic

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Pre and Post Tests

• Results for Rear Facing Seats
• Significant increases in knowledge were found
  for
• Chest clip height
• Harness slot height
• Harness tightness
• Appropriate angle
• When a child is too tall for the seat
• Appropriate tightness of the seat belt

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Pre and Post Tests (cont)

• Results for Forward Facing
• Significant increases in knowledge were found
  for
• Harness slot height
• Harness tightness
• Appropriate tether strap use

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Pre and Post Tests (cont)

• Intent to make changes to car seat useage
• 67 (n185) indicated they would
• Of the 33 who were not planning to make changes
  the majority were due to
• The seat already being correctly installed
• Had not attempted to install seat prior to clinic
• 95 (n264) responded that they learned enough to
  use their car seat on their own

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Telephone Survey

• Changes Made as a Result of the Clinic
• 68 reported they made changes to the way they
  installed the seat
• 71 reported changes to how they secured their
  child in the seat

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Telephone Survey (cont)

• Changes to Seat Installation
• Weight/Height/Age 6 (11)
• Airbag (in back) 3 (5)
• Recline 24 (41)
• Seat Belt Tighter 36 (61)
• Use Locking Clip 11 (18)
• Carry Handle Down 17 (29)
• Tether or Anchor 11 (18)
• Other 16 (28)

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Telephone Survey (cont)

• Changes to Securing Child
• Chest Clip Height 39 (66)
• Flatten Harness Straps 12 (21)
• Tighter Harness Straps 52 (89)
• Strap Height 33 (56)
• Back Straps Secure 7 (12)
• Other 0.6 (1)

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Telephone Survey (cont)

• When asked if participants would prefer to
  receive the information in a different way
• Nearly all responded they preferred drive-through
  clinics over
• Attending classes
• Reading information on the internet
• Receiving information through other resources

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Areas to Improve

• Participants had low knowledge (before and after
  clinic) on
• How long a child should remain in both rear and
  forward facing seats
• How to tell when children have grown too tall for
  rear and forward facing seats
• How to tell when a seat is installed tightly
  enough

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Conclusions

• Results from the evaluation indicated that
  caregivers
• Gained knowledge in several areas
• Reported they learned enough to correctly use
  their seats
• Reported that they made changes to how they used
  their seats