The National Child Passenger Safety Board maintains the quality and integrity of the national standardized curriculum used to train and certify Child Passenger Safety Technicians and Instructors.
Technicians provide one-on-one instruction to parents so they learn how to properly install their child’s car seat. And, yet, 636 children under the age of 13 died in crashes in 2018, according to the National Safety Council. About one-third (191) were unrestrained, and many others were inadequately restrained at the time of the crash.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates car seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71% for infants (younger than 1 year old) and by 54% for toddlers (1 to 4 years old) in passenger cars. The four phases of child passenger safety are taught as part of the national standardized curriculum:
- Rear-facing car seats
- Forward-facing car seats
- Booster seats
- Beyond boosters (lap and shoulder belt)
Get your car seat inspected: Use this NHTSA tool to find a child passenger safety technician near you.
Learn what to expect during a car seat checkup in this guide provided by experts with the National Child Passenger Safety Certification program:
- Before: Be prepared to learn; technicians teach you how to properly restrain your own child.
- During: Set aside 20-30 minutes; ask questions and check for car seat recalls.
- After: Be sure you have an answer to this question, “Can you do it yourself now?”