Hello there, let me introduce myself my name is Barbara Baines or just plain old barb. I’ve been asked by the OSC to write a blog on my favourite subject — car seat safety.
I guess you could call me one of the original car seat girls in North America. I started about 35 years ago working in the field at transport Canada. My very first case got me hooked. It was an ejection of a two-month-old and subsequent death from a moving vehicle. Her parents hadn’t secured her in a car seat and when they skidded out of control she was ejected out a window. When I read the case file (and after wiping the tears from my eyes) I knew what my mission was going to be — keep children as safe as possible while traveling in vehicles.
I worked tirelessly with that mission in mind. I worked in compliance, ensuring that the car seats produced were up to Canadian standards — the toughest in the world; I worked in defects, determining what was wrong with the seats in use and recalling them; I assisted in writing the safety standards to ensure that the car seats made for the Canadian market we the safest; and I developed training programs and organizations to teach and educate people of like mind to be car seat technicians and instructors.
I’m now “retired” from the government but I’m still very involved in creating programs for education, teaching, giving seminars etc. I consult with car seat manufacturers, health organizations, insurance companies, and law enforcement agencies. I have partnered with the Ottawa Safety Council as they are just as concerned about the safety of our children and want to help by doing something about it.
So that’s me in a nut shell. A car seat girl. Now I need something from you! Send me suggestions for topics you’d like to see discussed or clarified. Anything about child safety, myth busting or explaining standards. I’m prepared to answer anything and if I don’t know the answer, I’ll find the answer. Send me your suggestions at carseatgroup@aol.com
Thanks and I hope to hear from you soon!