September 26, 2002

DaimlerChrysler Canada launches first national child safety seat inspection service in Canada

Toronto, Ontario - Working with St. John Ambulance, the Canadian Coalition for Child Passenger Safety and the Government of Canada, DaimlerChrysler Canada will be the first automotive manufacturer in the country to offer free child safety seat inspections. This child safety seat inspection, fitting and customer education service will help parents ensure their children are buckled up properly and safely.

No matter what make or model vehicle a person drives, participating Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep Fit for a Kid retailers will conduct a free inspection of their child safety seat.

"Safety technology changes frequently and as a result, consumers are inundated with so much information they are often left confused about how to protect their family," said Edwin Brust, Chairman, President and CEO, DaimlerChrysler Canada. "With our free Fit for a Kid inspections, parents will receive expert advice and ensure their child is buckled up right."

The free service will initially be available at select Five Star, Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep retailers in Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Windsor, Toronto, Montreal and Sydney, Nova Scotia with a national rollout planned for 2003. Fit for a Kid inspections are available by appointment and take approximately thirty minutes.

Canadian surveys show that as many as eight out of ten children are improperly restrained in safety seats. Certified technicians will conduct the Fit for a Kid inspections and 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.

"The Government of Canada, as part of the Canadian Coalition for Child Passenger Safety, has developed standardized training materials for child seat safety," said The Honourable David Collenette, Minister of Transport. "DaimlerChrysler and St. John Ambulance are to be congratulated on the amount and quality of the work that has gone into this program, which builds on the work of the coalition."

Toys "R" Us and DaimlerChrysler 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.

FRANKLIN the turtle will be featured in an educational Fit for a Kid child seat safety activity book and on a poster produced by Kids Can Press. The activity books will be handed out at each inspection and posters will be on display at participating retailers.

A toll-free phone number, 1-866-FIT-4-A-KID (1-866-348-4254), is available for booking appointments and public inquiries. The program is offered in French with the name Enfant d'abord, Enfant ˆ 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.

More News....