TOYOTA, SAFETYBELTSAFE U.S.A. AND DOREL JUVENILE GROUP HOLD FREE INSPECTION CHECKUP OF SAFETY SEATS & BOOSTER SEATS
June 1st, 2012 - Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A., Inc. (TMHU), the number one selling lift truck in North America, sponsored free inspections of child safety seats and booster seats in cooperation with nationally certified child passenger safety technicians and trained volunteers from SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. and safety seat manufacturer Dorel Juvenile Group, Inc. on Saturday, May 5, 2012 at the Dorel headquarters in Columbus, Ind.
Indiana Child Passenger Protection Act requires children to ride in a safety seat or booster until they are at least eight years old and that all occupants are properly restrained. Most children need a booster for proper belt fit until they are at least age 10 to 12, depending on their proportions and the design of the vehicle. SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. recommends that children ride in the back seat, which is 40 percent safer than the front, until they are old enough to learn to drive.
“We are thankful for Dorel Juvenile Group, SafetyBeltSafety U.S.A., and the many volunteers and parents, who turned out to support the event,” said Jeff Rufener, president of TMHU. “As with our equipment, Toyota is dedicated to raising awareness of the issue of seat belt safety.”
Parents, grandparents, and expecting couples from five cities turned out to ensure proper installation of all safety seats to help safeguard child passengers against injuries or fatalities caused by improperly fitted or incorrectly installed seats. Twenty-four nationally certified technicians were onsite to educate parents on proper safety seat installation. More than 75% percent of the seats inspected at this SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. event were not being used properly. On average, 9 out of 10 of the youngest children using seats with built-in harnesses were riding at risk because their seats were not being used correctly. In addition, 14 seats could not be corrected and needed replacement. DJG provided free replacements.
About Dorel Juvenile Group
Dorel Juvenile Group (DJG), headquartered in Columbus, Indiana is a division of Dorel Industries Inc. (TSX: DII.A; DII.B). Dorel is the largest juvenile products manufacturer in its categories in the world today covering strollers, play yards, high chairs, bath accessories, infant health, home safety and more. Dorel is also the global leader in the design and manufacture of car seats, selling more than 8 million seats each year. DJG designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of juvenile products under the Cosco Juvenile, Safety 1st®, Quinny®, Maxi-Cosi® and, most recently, Hoppop® brand names.
About SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A.
Founded in 1980, SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. is nationally recognized for program excellence, training, and up-to-date technical materials. It provides consultation to advocates, parents, business leaders, the media, and professionals working in the fields of health care, traffic safety, and education. For more information, go to www.carseat.org or call the Safe Ride Helpline: (310) 222-6860 or (800) 745-SAFE. For Spanish: (310) 222-6862 or (800) 747-SANO.
About Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A., Inc.
Celebrating 45 years of established operations, Irvine, Calif.-based TMHU is the supplier for the No. 1 selling lift truck in North America since 2002. In addition to the full line of high-quality lift trucks sold under the Toyota brand, the company’s extended industrial equipment solutions include Automated Guided Vehicles and tow tractors.
Quality is the hallmark of the Toyota Production System practiced at all Toyota manufacturing facilities, including Toyota Industrial Equipment Mfg., Inc. (TIEM), a zero-landfill facility in Columbus, Ind. TIEM, named a 2011 North American Best Plant by IndustryWeek magazine, is a member of the National Safety Council, complies with the ISO 14001 standard from the International Organization for Standardization and has produced more than 400,000 Toyota lift trucks since its opening in 1990.
Toyota's commitment to excellence in customer service extends throughout the U.S. and Canada. With more than 70 authorized Toyota Industrial Equipment dealers and more than 220 dealership locations throughout North America, Toyota dealers offer comprehensive customer service and support, including one-stop shopping for both new and used lift trucks, rentals, parts and service, fleet servicing and financing. For more information on TMHU, please visit http://www.toyotaforklift.com/, www.facebook.com/ToyotaForklift or twitter.com/ToyotaForklift or call 1-800-226-0009.
