Check Your Car Seat Today With These Virtual and Online Resources

Safe Kids Worldwide is celebrating child passenger safety (CPS) throughout the month of September.

Vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death and injury for American children and correctly used child safety seats can reduce the risk of death by as much as 71 percent. Unfortunately, almost 60 percent of car seats are not used or installed correctly.

Safe Kids and many of our 400 coalitions are offering multiple options for parents to learn virtually during Child Passenger Safety Week (Sept 20-26) and beyond. We have something for everyone, so please take advantage of one of the following resources and check your car seat for common and easy-to-fix mistakes that could save a child’s life. These virtual and online options are free-of-charge and consistent with up-to-date COVID-19 protocols.

• Join Virtual Car Seat Check-Up – Many coalitions are providing parents with virtual car seat check-ups either with several parents or one-on-one. The check-ups are held with smartphones or tablets and a nationally certified child passenger safety technician (CPST). Contact your local coalition to see if they are offering a virtual class you can participate in live or watch later.
• Watch expert videos. Safe Kids has also produced expert videos with certified technicians showing the proper use and choice of car seats across the various stages, including rear-facing car seats, forward-facing car seats, and booster seats.
• In-person inspection stations – Due to COVID 19 Safe Kids coalitions and national certified child passenger safety technicians (CPSTs) have adjusted the way they provide CPS education. As communities are opening, we are seeing more in-person car seat inspections with social distancing. Locate a Safe Kids coalition, local event or CPST to see if in-person inspection is an option.
• Check out the Ultimate Car Seat Guide – available in English and Spanish. This online, interactive tool provides expert guidance to parents on everything from how to fit a child into a car seat to how to know when it is time to move to a new type of seat.
• Participate in an Online Class. Recognizing how precious time is to a parent, Safe Kids has created an online child passenger safety class for parents, caregivers and community partners to take on their own. The class is taught by a CPST and covers every car seat stage as your child graduates from a rear-facing seat to when they can wear an adult seat belt.
• Join our Facebook Live events – We have four Facebook Live events during CPST month where experts will provide top tips and address common mistakes for parents on how to correctly use a car seat. Join us on Facebook on:
  • September 17, 2020 at 1 p.m. EST. Join celebrity mom Ali Landry as child passenger safety experts answer your questions about common car seat mistakes and top tips for making your child safer.
  • September 22, 2020. English at 1 p.m. EST; Spanish at 2 p.m. EST: Focus on Rear-Facing Seats – Is your car seat too loose? And other common mistakes and top tips.
  • September 23, 2020. English at 1 p.m. EST; Spanish at 2 p.m. EST: Focus on Forward-Facing Seats – What is a tether? And other common mistakes and top tips.
  • September 24, 2020. Spanish at 11:30 a.m. EST; English at 12:30 p.m. EST: Focus on Booster Seats – When can your child move out of a booster? And other common mistakes and top tips.