This guide is to help communities and partners use social media to support and promote Parachute Safe Kids Week 2023, an annual awareness campaign designed to bring attention to predictable and preventable injuries in children. This year our messaging will focus on child passenger safety.
Car crashes are a leading cause of death and injury to children in Canada. Children are well protected and less likely to be severely injured when the right car seat, booster seat, or seat belt is used on every ride. Using the right car seat in the right way can reduce the risk of injury by up to 82 per cent and risk of death by up to 71 per cent.
We encourage you to try and post every day during Safe Kids Week: May 29 to June 4, 2023, using the following hashtags:
Primary Hashtag: #KidsInTheRightSeat
Secondary Hashtag: #SKW2023
Sample tweets / social media posts
Below are sample posts you can use as tweets or as posts on all social media channels. You are also welcome and encouraged to come up with your own tweets and messages that make sense for your organization and your community.
Please note that tweets can only be 280 characters in length (including links). In addition to posting Parachute Safe Kids Week materials, you can also tweet out references to your organization’s related materials and website. We also encourage you to download and add these Safe Kids Week 2023 Social Media Images to your posts.
Sample tweets / social media posts to use before the start of Safe Kids Week
- Parachute Safe Kids Week runs May 29 to June 4, 2023, with the theme of child passenger safety. Learn more at parachute.ca/safekidsweek #KidsInTheRightSeat #SKW2023
- Save the date! #SKW2023 is May 29 to June 4. This year our messaging will focus on child passenger safety. Learn more at parachute.ca/safekidsweek #KidsInTheRightSeat
Sample tweets / social media posts to use during Safe Kids Week (May 29 to June 4, 2023)
Child passenger safety basics
- Properly use a car seat, booster or seat belt on every ride, even in a taxi or a ride-share vehicle. Learn more at parachute.ca/safekidsweek #SKW2023 #KidsInTheRightSeat
- All car seats must meet government safety standards to be sold in Canada. Look for the National Safety Mark: it proves the car seat meets Canadian Safety standards. Learn more at: parachute.ca/safekidsweek #SKW2023 #KidsInTheRightSeat
- Car seat and booster seat legislation varies across Canada. Know the laws in your province/territory. https://parachute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Car-Seat-and-Booster-Seat-Canadian-Legislation-Chart.pdf #SKW2023 #KidsInTheRightSeat
- Children under the age of 13 are safest in the back seat. It’s important not to rush your child into the next stage before they are ready. Learn more at parachute.ca/safekidsweek #SKW2023 #KidsInTheRightSeat
- When installed and used correctly, car seats save lives. It’s #SKW2023! Learn more about #KidsInTheRightSeat at parachute.ca/safekidsweek
- A Canadian roadside study found that 99% of kids were buckled, but 73% of car seats were used or installed incorrectly. Learn more about #KidsInTheRightSeat at parachute.ca/safekidsweek #SKW2023
- A Canadian roadside study found that 30% of kids in booster seats did not meet the legal weight minimum and 52% of kids in seat belts did not fit safely without a booster seat. More about #KidsInTheRightSeat at parachute.ca/safekidsweek #SKW2023
- Always ensure your child is buckled in right! Tighten the car seat harness until you cannot pinch any slack at the shoulder. Place the chest clip at armpit level. Learn more about #KidsInTheRightSeat at parachute.ca/safekidsweek #SKW2023
- It’s #SKW2023. Make sure car seat harness straps are in the correct slot for the seat’s direction (at or below the shoulders when rear facing; at or above the shoulders when forward facing). More about #KidsInTheRightSeat at parachute.ca/safekidsweek #SKW2023
- Let’s talk #KidsInTheRightSeat this #SKW2023. Install your car seat tight to the vehicle. Attach the seat to your vehicle using the lower anchors or seat belt and tighten. Learn more at parachute.ca/safekidsweek
- If you’re using the seat belt to attach a car seat, it must be locked so that it stays tight. The seat should move less than 1 inch (2.5 cm) where it is attached to the car. Learn more about #KidsInTheRightSeat at parachute.ca/safekidsweek #SKW2023
- Make sure the angle is correct for a rear-facing seat. Always follow the angle indicator on the car seat. Some car seats have a range of recline angles. Learn more about #KidsInTheRightSeat at parachute.ca/safekidsweek #SKW2023
- When using a car seat for a newborn, adjust the seat to the most reclined angle allowed. This will help keep them positioned properly and breathing comfortably. Keep your #KidsInTheRightSeat. More tips at parachute.ca/safekidsweek #SKW2023
- Always use the top tether on a forward-facing seat. The tether reduces how far your child’s head moves in a crash to prevent serious injury. This tether is required for all forward-facing seats in Canada. #KidsInTheRightSeat parachute.ca/safekidsweek #SKW2023
- Using the right car seat in the right way can reduce the risk of injury in a crash by up to 82% and risk of death by up to 71%. Learn more at parachute.ca/safekidsweek #KidsInTheRightSeat
Rear-facing car seat
- A rear-facing car seat provides the best protection for your child’s head, neck and spine in a sudden stop or crash. Learn more about #KidsInTheRightSeat at parachute.ca/safekidsweek #SKW2023
- All infants must ride in a rear-facing car seat. Don’t rush through the stages. Keep children in each stage for longer and in a seat that fits them. parachute.ca/safekidsweek #SKW2023 #KidsInTheRightSeat
- Your child is safest riding rear facing until 2, 3 or even 4 years old. Learn more about #KidsInTheRightSeat at parachute.ca/safekidsweek #SKW2023
- Keep your child rear facing for as long as they still fit the seat. Consider using a larger rear-facing seat before transitioning your child to forward facing. Learn more at parachute.ca/safekidsweek #SKW2023 #KidsInTheRightSeat
Forward-facing car seat
- Start using a forward-facing seat with a 5-point harness when your child has outgrown their rear-facing seat. This usually happens between ages 2 to 4. Learn more at parachute.ca/safekidsweek #SKW2023 #KidsInTheRightSeat
- Keep your child in their forward-facing seat until they weigh at least 18 kg (40 lbs) and can sit correctly in a booster seat. This may be at 4, 5, 6, or even 7 years old. Learn more at parachute.ca/safekidsweek #SKW2023 #KidsInTheRightSeat
- If your child outgrows their forward-facing seat before they are ready to move to a booster seat, use a seat with a 5-point harness that will hold a taller, heavier child. Learn more at parachute.ca/safekidsweek #SKW2023 #KidsInTheRightSeat
Booster seat
- Your child must weigh at least 18 kg (40 pounds) to use a booster seat. Learn more about #KidsInTheRightSeat at parachute.ca/safekidsweek #SKW2023
- Keep using a booster seat until your child is at least 145 cm (4 feet 9 inches) tall and fits the adult seat belt correctly. More #KidsInTheRightSeat tips at parachute.ca/safekidsweek #SKW2023
Seat belt
- An adult seat belt must fit properly over your child’s strongest bones – across the middle of the shoulder and low across the hips – to properly protect your child. More #safetytips at parachute.ca/safekidsweek #SKW2023 #KidsInTheRightSeat
- Once a child is taller than 145 cm (4 feet 9 inches), they may begin to safely fit an adult seat belt. This usually happens between age 10 -12. Learn more at parachute.ca/safekidsweek #SKW2023 #KidsInTheRightSeat
- Your child might fit the adult seat belt in one vehicle but still need a booster seat in another. Learn more about #KidsInTheRightSeat at parachute.ca/safekidsweek #SKW2023
Sample tweets / social media posts to use after Safe Kids Week
- Safe Kids Week has wrapped up, but #InjuryPrevention is important all year long! Visit@parachutecanada for info & tips: parachute.ca
- #SKW2022was a success! Thanks to @ParachuteCanada for helping us raise awareness about child passenger safety.
Ask our advice
If you have any questions or need some guidance, please feel free to direct them to Margarita at mboichuk@parachute.ca