Child Passenger Safety

The Unintentional Injury Prevention Program's Child Passenger Safety Program focuses on promoting proper safety seat restraint use for children until they transition to the vehicle safety belt (approximately birth through nine years of age), increasing risk perception and correct usage of child restraints among parents and caregivers through outreach and education, providing proper installation education and addressing the barriers that prohibit access to safety devices.

The Program provides income eligible families with education and free child safety seats and booster seats from as early as the third trimester of pregnancy through seven years of age. Community based sites, supported by the Program, provide the public with local access to safety seat installation education and guidance by nationally certified child passenger safety technicians. The program raises the awareness of parents and other caregivers to ensure children are properly restrained every time they are transported in a motor vehicle through multiple venues including a website specifically for parents and caregivers; initiatives to support the education efforts of healthcare providers; and various campaigns.