Safe Kids Canada

Injury Facts

• Accidental injury is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 14 in Canada.

Who We Are

Safe Kids Canada is the national injury prevention program of the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.

What We Do

As a national leader, Safe Kids Canada promotes effective strategies to prevent accidental injuries. By building partnerships and using a comprehensive approach, Safe Kids Canada advances safety and reduces the burden of injuries to Canada 's children and youth.

Where are we now? ( July 2005 - Recent Programs)

Safe Kids Week 2005

The theme for Safe Kids Week 2005 was "Make It a Safe Kids Summer." This very successful campaign focused on healthy, active and safe living by exploring the four most popular summer activities for children: biking, swimming, walking and playground play.

Each summer, approximately 50 children die from and another 1800 are seriously injured by these four activities. The good news is that implementing evidence-based safety strategies could prevent at least 40 percent of these injuries.

The media response to this campaign was overwhelming, resulting in front-page coverage and several high-profile editorials Canadian newspapers.

Booster Seat Law

In 2004, Safe Kids Canada issued the Report on Booster Seat Use in Canada: A National Challenge . This report outlined the case for booster seats and revealed that only 28 percent of Canadian children ages 4 to 9 regularly use booster seats.

It outlined why seat belts don't fit young children and what happens in a motor vehicle crash. Safe Kids Canada also developed a growth chart and fitting instructions that were used by our partners across the country.

Finally, Safe Kids Canada called for booster seat legislation to be implemented across the country. Safe Kids Canada is pleased to report that Ontario, Canada 's most populous province has introduced booster seat legislation for children up to age 8, 80 pounds, or 4 feet 9 inches.

Baby Walker Ban

Health Minister Pierre Pettigrew announced on April 7, 2004, that Health Canada was banning the sale, advertisement and importation of baby walkers in Canada . People were advised to permanently dispose of them.

The September 15, 2003, ban proposal mentioned Safe Kids Canada's 2003 campaign calling for the ban of baby walkers following a 10-year voluntary ban that still saw 1,000 children annually injured in these unnecessary devices.

Safe Kids Canada encouraged parents to dismantle and dispose of all baby walkers . Eighty-five percent of walker injuries are from falling down stairs, resulting in twice as many serious head injuries than ordinary falls down stairs. Scalds and burns are other common walker-related injuries.

Following Health Canada 's 2004 ban on baby walkers, Safe Kids Canada began encouraging parents to dismantle and dispose of all baby walkers. Approximately 1,000 babies are injured annually by baby walker use; walkers cause more injuries than any other children's product. Eighty-five percent of walker injuries are from falling down stairs, resulting in twice as many serious head injuries than ordinary falls down stairs. Scalds and burns are other common walker-related injuries.

Additional Resources

• Safe Kids Canada 2004-2005 Report