ING Canada promotes car seat safety through compensation

ING Canada and belairdirect are promoting car seat safety by offering to compensate auto policyholders for any child safety restraint system installed in a vehicle that is involved in an accident, even if the car seat was not damaged on impact.The majority of insurers in Quebec pay out compensation only for child car seats with visible damage, and based on their depreciated value, CAA-Quebec notes in a press release. But from now on, ING Canada and belairdirect policyholders will be compensated for as-new value and according to established criteria for any child safety restraint system. The announcement comes as CAA-Quebec prepares for National Child Car Safety Seat Inspection Day, observed on May 27.”Any child safety restraint system can be damaged in a collision, and the damage may not be apparent, so this new feature is quite important,” according to Yvon Lapointe, the director of traffic safety and automotive research at CAA-Quebec. Louis Hroux, ING Canada’s vice-president of compensation (Quebec Region), added: “Although our area of expertise is principally property and casualty insurance, we are extremely mindful of the need to emphasize prevention, most especially when it comes to bodily injuries in children. That is why we are pleased and proud to announce today that our clients are eligible for this innovative enhancement to our auto insurance coverage.”CAA-Quebec’s research has shown the following:- A child safety restraint system reduces the risk of death or serious injury by 70%, provided it is properly installed and the child is correctly seated in it.- 94% of parents buy a suitable car safety seat for their child, but only 49% install it properly.- More than 1,600 children aged under 9 are hurt or killed in motor vehicle accidents every year in Quebec.