New Virtual and Online Options for All Parents to Check Car Seats During September's Child Passenger Safety Week

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- During the COVID-19 pandemic, parents are concentrating on many priorities at once, including how to keep their kids safe and healthy. This September's focus on child passenger safety provides parents an opportunity to place a life-saving emphasis on child safety in cars by making sure their child's car seat is used and installed correctly.

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.

While in-person car seat check education is not possible in most areas due to the current pandemic, many Safe Kids coalitions and other safety partners are offering multiple options for parents to learn virtually during Child Passenger Safety Week (Sept 20-26) and beyond. Safe Kids urges every parent, no matter where they live, to check for common and easy-to-fix mistakes that could save a child's life.

See resources to help correctly use and install a car seat

"These new online and virtual resources are available to help every parent understand the most important car seat safety tips to remember during COVID-19 when they have so many other things to think about," said Torine Creppy, president of Safe Kids Worldwide. "Whether it's a trip to the grocery store, back to school, or a long-distance road trip, correctly used car seats, booster seats and seat belts are the best way to make sure a family is the most protected."

In a nationwide effort to continue to serve and educate parents with life-saving safety information during COVID-19, Safe Kids, with the support of General Motors, is providing the following options available to all families, no matter where they live. These virtual and online options are free-of-charge and consistent with up-to-date COVID-19 protocols: 

1. 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. Find your local coalition on the Safe Kids website.
   
   
2. 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.
   
   
3. Check out the Ultimate Car Seat Guide -- available in English and Spanish. This online, interactive, custom 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. You can also check out the occupant protection laws in your state here.
   
   
4. Join our Facebook Live events ? in English and Spanish. Safe Kids will host several Facebook live events throughout CPS Week, in both English and Spanish. Each event will focus on a different car seat stage and parents and caregivers will have the chance to engage with experts. The first event is Sept. 17. Follow the Safe Kids Facebook page for more information.
   
   
5. 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.

As communities re-open, some coalitions are offering in-person car seat inspections by certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians with social distancing. Parents interested in in-person checks should contact their local coalition using the Safe Kids website.

For more information, visit SafeKids.org.

ABOUT SAFE KIDS WORLDWIDE
Safe Kids Worldwide is a global nonprofit dedicated to protecting kids from preventable injuries, the number one cause of death to children in the United States. Around the world, a child dies every 30 seconds from an injury that could have been prevented. Safe Kids is a go-to resource to help parents keep kids safe from car crashes, fires, falls, poisoning and more. Through more than 400 coalitions in the U.S. and partners in more than 30 countries, we can help all kids grow up healthy and safe. Join our effort at safekids.org.

SOURCE Safe Kids Worldwide