Car crashes are a leading cause of death for children between the ages of 1 and 14. In the U.S., 35% of children who died in traffic crashes in 2018 were unrestrained* and many others were inadequately restrained. In fact, NHTSA estimates car seats are installed or used incorrectly in 46% of cases, and when drivers were unrestrained, 63% of children were also unrestrained.
This new e-learning opportunity, made possible through a cooperative agreement with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, is designed to help learners feel more confident about correct car seat use through the presentation of evidence-based guidelines. Car Seat Basics also will serve as the foundation for a number of new online and in-person trainings to be released over the next 12-18 months. It is important to note that completion of this training does not result in a child passenger safety certification.
“We see these e-learning courses as innovative and engaging, and they will change how we deliver child passenger safety information,” said Tammy Franks, National Child Passenger Safety Board secretariat and NSC program manager for child passenger safety curriculum development. “If learning, as it has been said, truly is an act of exploration, then it also must be true that technology equips the explorer for the journey.”
Additional modules for healthcare professionals, law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services personnel, Head Start and Tribal communities are planned. When completed, these e-learning opportunities will be available on the National Child Passenger Safety Board’s website at cpsboard.org/trainings.
The National Child Passenger Safety Board, a program managed by NSC, maintains the quality and integrity of the national standardized curriculum used to train and certify Child Passenger Safety Technicians and Instructors.