WASHINGTON (PRWEB)
September 19, 2022

Increases in speeding, driver impairment and failure to buckle up, combined with incorrect car seat use, are putting children at greater risk according to safety advocates who are ramping up awareness efforts and resources for parents during Child Passenger Safety Week (Sept. 18-24, 2022).

Child traffic deaths increased by three percent in 2020, compared with 2019. An estimated 1,093 children–three children per day–were killed in 2020, and 42 percent of child passengers were unrestrained by either a child safety seat or seat belt. It is estimated for the same year that each day an additional 380 children were nonfatally injured in traffic crashes.

A recent study (https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812142) also showed that half of car seats are critically misused, meaning that there was at least one observed user error that could increase the likelihood of injury in the event of a crash. Car seat inspections across the country have shown overall misuse as high as 90 percent.

“A crucial part of protecting a child is using the appropriate car seat or booster seat, and using it correctly,” said Torine Creppy, president of Safe Kids Worldwide. “It’s important to make sure that every family has access to child safety seats and safety education so that every child is protected, especially the most vulnerable. Buckling up every ride, every time, in the right safety seat is the single most effective way to protect a child.”

Experts agree that using properly selected car seats according to manufacturer instructions is the best way to prevent fatalities and reduce injuries in motor vehicle crashes. The good news is car seats have proven effective at preventing child deaths and reducing injuries, and with new testing requirements and protocols to be in place soon, they stand to become even safer.

A new regulation will require car seats be side-impact crash tested, and that all tests be conducted in an updated environment that better reflects the seats and cushions of today’s vehicles. Car seat instructional labels will also be clearer and more easily understood. A Final Rule for side-impact requirements was published this summer, and a companion update of other requirements is expected to be finalized this fall.

“Regulations that help provide enhanced child protection are what the car seat industry, NHTSA and experts in the field work hard to create,” said Joe Colella, director of Child Passenger Safety for the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA). “Many manufacturers have already voluntarily tested in similar ways, continuing to improve how their car seats perform, and this standardization ensures that all regulated car seats meet the same stringent requirements.”

Most car seat check events and inspection stations are now resuming in-person operation, with the added benefit of continued supplemented online resources and virtual expert consultations. In-person educational opportunities for parents and caregivers were largely disrupted during the recent public health crisis, when virtual assistance became more common.

To help parents and caregivers select, install and use their car seats and belt positioning booster seats correctly, Safe Kids Worldwide and JPMA are making the following in-person, online and virtual resources and opportunities available free of charge:

• 
  Contact Manufacturer Customer Service for Expert Help – JPMA provides an easy summary of manufacturer options, including audio, video and online assistance (https://www.jpma.org/page/carseathelp).
• In-person inspection stations – Safe Kids coalitions and nationally certified child passenger safety technicians (CPSTs) have adjusted the way they provide CPS education. Following appropriate safety protocols, more in-person car seat inspection opportunities will be available. Locate a Safe Kids coalition (https://www.safekids.org/safe-kids-coalitions-united-states), local event (https://www.safekids.org/events/field_type/check-event) or CPST (https://portalskcms.cyzap.net/dzapps/dbzap.bin/apps/assess/webmembers/secure/manage?webid=SKCMS&pToolCode=CERT-SEARCH&pAdd=Yes) to see if in-person inspection is an option near you.
• Join a Virtual Car Seat Check-Up – A virtual event will be held on Seat Check Saturday (September 24), and families can make an appointment (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/national-virtual-car-seat-safety-event-tickets-400215604647). Many Safe Kids coalitions are also 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 led by a nationally certified child passenger safety technician (CPST). Contact your local coalition (https://www.safekids.org/safe-kids-coalitions-united-states) to see if it is offering a virtual check or a virtual class that you can participate in live or watch later.
• Washington, D.C. Inspection Event – JPMA, JPMA Cares, Safe Kids Worldwide, the District Department of Transportation and the Manufacturers Alliance for Child Passenger Safety will host a national event in Washington, D.C. on Seat Check Saturday (September 24) from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event will be at the Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School, 1100 Harvard Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20009
• Watch expert videos – Safe Kids has produced expert videos with certified technicians showing the proper use and choice of car seats for the various stages of child development, including rear-facing car seats (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtlrPvGXGXU), forward-facing car seats (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggXbQXrsXmc) and booster seats (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCX6aceCOMg). JPMA also has expert videos and resources available (https://www.jpma.org/page/CPSWeek).
• The Ultimate Car Seat Guide – This resource is available in English (https://ucsg.safekids.org) and Spanish (https://ucsg.safekids.org/es/). This online, interactive tool (https://ucsg.safekids.org) provides expert guidance to parents on topics ranging from how to fit a child into a car seat and booster seat to how to know when it is time to move to a new type of seat.

National Child Passenger Safety Week is an annual observance devoted to car seat awareness and education. Activities begin on September 18 and continue through National Seat Check Saturday on September 24.

About Safe Kids Worldwide

Safe Kids Worldwide is a nonprofit organization working to protect kids on the road, at home and at play. Preventable injuries are the number one cause of death for children in the United States. Safe Kids works with an extensive network of more than 400 coalitions in the U.S. and with partners in more than 30 countries to reduce traffic injuries, drownings, falls, burns, poisonings and more. Join our effort at safekids.org (https://www.safekids.org).

About the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA)

The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) is the voice of the industry on quality and safety for baby and children’s products in North America. We work to advance the interests of manufacturers, parents, children and the industry at large by advocating for safety through product certification programs and legislative and regulatory involvement. We support our broad and diverse membership through member-only programming and industry promotion, and we act as a comprehensive source for baby product information and education. Established in 1962, this year JPMA marks its 60th year of helping protect future generations by advancing the availability and safety of products used to care for babies and young children.

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