DaimlerChrysler Launches National Child Safety Seat Campaign

DaimlerChrysler Canada is demonstrating its commitment to safety with the national launch of its Fit for a Kid(R) program. Participating Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep(R) Fit for a Kid retailers will conduct a free child safety seat inspection, fitting and customer education service to
help parents ensure their children are buckled up properly and safely. The service is open to all vehicles, regardless of make or model.
“With summer just around the corner, families across the country will soon be hitting the roads for vacation with their children. We want to make sure parents know how to protect their children by buckling them up safely,”
said Ed Brust, Chairman, President and CEO, DaimlerChrysler Canada. “With our free Fit for a Kid inspections, parents will receive expert advice and
instruction to ensure they’re using the proper safety seat for their child and that it is installed correctly in their vehicle.”
Canadian surveys show that as many as eight out of ten children are improperly restrained in safety seats. To help ensure safety seats are properly installed, certified technicians conducting Fit for a Kid inspections
will look for common mistakes such as children in the wrong seats for their size, seats that are recalled or damaged and seats not properly secured to the vehicle.
Fit for a Kid is Canada’s first and only national child safety seat inspection service. The program was initially launched in select cities as a pilot last fall and builds on the work of St. John Ambulance and the Canadian Coalition for Child Passenger Safety. More than 60 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep retailers across the country will be offering this free inspection service. Fit for a Kid inspections are available by appointment and take approximately thirty minutes.
A recent road safety blitz by officers of the Ontario Provincial Police resulted in the inspection of approximately 200 child seats over the course of four days. Traffic Sergeant John McNall, with the Ontario Provincial Police explains, “During our road safety inspections we were shocked to discover there were problems with the installations of four out of every five child seats. We strongly support the opportunity offered by DaimlerChrysler to educate parents on car seat installations and ensure that children ride safely
every time they are in a vehicle.” To book an appointment or to inquire about the program, parents should
call toll-free 1-866-FIT-4-A-KID (1-866-348-4254). The program is also offered in French with the name Enfant d’abord, Enfant bord. The French toll-free number is 1-877-ENFANT-1 (1-877-363-2681). Further information about the program can be found at www.fitforakid.ca and www.enfant1.ca.
St. John Ambulance is the exclusive Child Restraint System (CRS) training and certification partner for Fit for a Kid technicians. The CRS training course and curriculum was developed with the help of the Canadian Coalition for Child Passenger Safety and the Government of Canada. Toys “R” Us and DaimlerChrysler Canada will provide short-term loaner child safety seats to parents who discover during the inspection that their current seat is not safe. Toys “R” Us will also offer parents a discount
coupon on the purchase of a child safety seat.