September 27, 2002

Booster seat manufacturer to launch booster seat awareness campaign in Ontario

Toronto, Ontario - Jupiter Industries, a Canadian manufacturer of booster car seats, today announced the launch of a province-wide bumper sticker campaign to promote vehicle safety in Ontario.

The program aims to inform the public about the growing number of preventable traffic injuries to children between 40-100 lbs. and kicks off at the Ontario Provincial Police Detachment in Kanata, Ontario on Friday, September 27, 2002, at 10:30am. At the event, "Slow Down, Booster Kid on Board" bumper stickers will be made available on behalf of Jupiter by the Eastern Ontario Car Seat Coalition and The Car Seat Coalition of Ottawa. The OPP safety bear will also make an appearance in Jupiter's newest booster seat, the Komfort Kruiser, and Ontario Transport Minister Norm Sterling will speak at the event.

Jupiter's awareness program focuses on children between the ages of 4-8 who have outgrown infant car seats but are too small for adult seat belts. Typically, children between 40-100 pounds and under 58" tall do not properly fit a standard seat belt, which is built and tested for adult bodies. Adult belts can ride up on a child's stomach, causing severe injuries to the soft, internal organs and increase the likelihood that the child will suffer severe injuries in a collision. In some cases, toddlers have also slipped out of adult belts and been ejected or killed. Booster seats solve this problem by raising the child, and repositioning adult belts to fit across the shoulder and hips.

Because traffic injury statistics continually highlight the need to distinguish 4-8 year-olds from infant and adult riders, many in the vehicle safety industry refer to them as 'the forgotten children'.

"Sadly, surveys suggest that most kids who belong in booster seats are not riding in them," said Stephen Sher, Jupiter CEO. "The time for education is now, and we are happy to champion the cause at the Canadian manufacturing level."

Preventable injuries in the 'forgotten children' age category have long been studied in the United States, where recent legislation requiring booster seat usage has passed in several States, including Washington and California. Meanwhile, although various Canadian safety organizations have been calling for stricter child restraint laws for years, legislation regarding booster usage does not exist

The Eastern Ontario Car Seat Coalition, a safety advocacy group in Ontario, is currently gathering information for a formal presentation to MTO regarding the implementation of booster seat laws in Ontario. The Coalition is comprised of various agencies including CAA, Transport Canada, OPP, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario and Health Canada. EOCSC developed the 'Love Me, Buckle Me Day', prior to MTO taking it on as a provincial program.

The Ottawa Car Seat Coalition, another vehicle safety advocacy group, promotes vehicle safety across a network of police detachments, fire departments, health associations, car seat safety clinics and educational and support programs. OCSC's popular 'Booster Seat Recycling Program' donates booster seats through the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario.

Both groups will be distributing the "Slow Down, Booster Kid on Board" stickers on behalf of Jupiter throughout 2003.

"There is a big gap between a baby seat and an adult seat belt," said Jill Courtemanche, OCSC Chair. "Parents and caregivers need to understand this fact, and these kids need protection."

More News....