The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) in America and State Farm insurers have released a new tool to help State Highway Safety Offices (SHSO) more effectively partner with community leaders, Child Passenger Safety Technicians (CPSTs) and others working to protect children in vehicles.

Motor vehicle injuries are a leading cause of death among children in the US, but more than two-thirds, 67 per cent, of car seats were improperly installed or used last year, according to new analysis released by AAA.

With support from SHSOs, 40,000 nationally certified CPSTs provide free education and car seat inspections to millions of parents and caregivers. A new roadmap lays out how SHSOs and their partners can be more strategic in addressing child passenger safety.

“Since every state, Tribal community and county is different, there is no single solution to child passenger safety,” said GHSA Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Adkins.

“Local leaders must adapt to unique characteristics and changing attitudes. The CPS Roadmap provides a practical guide that everyone working to protect children can use to keep our most precious cargo safe.”

The five key recommendations from the roadmap are:

  • Use data to focus efforts: Crash, ZIP code and demographic data can help SHSOs pinpoint high-risk areas, track results and direct resources where they can have the greatest impact.
  • Prioritize clear, consistent education: Help technicians and others convey accurate and consistent information to caregivers that recognize cultural, language and literary differences.
  • Expand and support the CPST network: Sponsoring online and hybrid training options and fostering mentorships helps build the pipeline of skilled practitioners across the entire country.
  • Maximize impact through partnerships and strategic funding: Collaborating with traditional and nontraditional partners and pooling resources can help bolster the impact of state and federal funds invested in child passenger safety.
  • Evaluate and adapt to foster long-term success: Regularly reviewing outreach and impact data makes it easier to refine strategies and adapt to evolving needs.

The guide, Child Passenger Safety: A Roadmap for State Highway Safety Offices, is available now on the GHSA website.