Child Passenger Safety

The role of the Child Passenger Safety (CPS) task force is to provide education to families on car seat safety, train and retain current technician candidates and raise public awareness to advocate for appropriate change in legislation.

The CPS Task Force Continues to provide Car Seat Check up events to families around the community. A car seat installation Inspection Station was set up in 2007 at Bob Baker Chevrolet providing a consistent location for car seat inspections. This program concluded in August 2007. Since that time special events have been provided at a My Gym facility in Chula Vista and a car seat check up in collaboration with UCSD for the graduates of their NICU program. The task force also provided four CPS technician training courses and the chair of the task force maintains a list serve of all technicians in the county and provides regular updates on continuing education, check up events and meetings.

The CPS task force receives grant funding annually through the Buckle Up Program at Safe Kids USA. This funding is distributed quarterly for use at events planned by the task force. This year the task force intends to use funds for CPS events in zip codes associated with high injury and fatality rates such as South Bay, North Inland and East County.

The task force also plans on hosting additional training programs, refresher courses and a mentoring program for new CPS technicians. Future advocacy will be directed towards the growing trend of unintentional falls from a car seat situated in shopping carts. Additional public awareness and media events will be focused on booster seat safety as consistent with the current focus of Safe Kids USA.

Prevention Activities You Can Do

• Be a role model by making sure you wear your seat belt each and every time you ride in a motor vehicle. Children look to adults to set the example.
• Children under 13 years old should always ride in the back seat
• California State Law requires children should ride rear facing until they are 1 year and 20 pounds, it is recommended that they remain rear facing to the maximum weight allowed by the car seat
• Children should be in an appropriate child restraint until they are 6 years or 60 pounds. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 8 years or 80 pounds.
• Make sure that your car seat is properly installed. If in doubt, have your seats checked at a Safe Kids Safety Seat Check up Event.
• Remove the clutter from your vehicle, every object in your vehicle is a potential projectile hazard in a crash.