Staten Island’s Car Seat Technicians from How-To-SAFETY Support National Car Seat Safety Week with Free Car Seat Inspections

How-To-SAFETY is joining Child Passenger Safety Week 2014 and "National Seat Check Saturday" with car seat inspection and installation event in Staten Island. Certified technicians will be teaching caregivers how to choose the right car seats for their children and how to install and use them correctly.

How-To-SAFETY announces that car seat inspections and education will be available to the community on Saturday, September 20 in Staten Island, NY. The free event is part of “National Seat Check Saturday” and will include car seat inspections by certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians. Technicians will be on-hand to teach parents and caregivers how to choose the right car seats for their children and how to install and use them correctly.

Car seats, booster seats, and seat belts are often used incorrectly. Motor vehicle crashes are a leading killer of children ages 1 to 13 and one child under age 13 is involved in a crash every 34 seconds. No parent wants to ever get it wrong when it comes to their children’s safety. Using age- and size-appropriate child restraints correctly is the best way to reduce preventable deaths. How-To-SAFETY is hosting this consumer education event during National Seat Check Saturday, so parents can come out and know for sure that their kids are as safe as possible when riding in a car.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), National Seat Check Saturday is part of Child Passenger Safety Week, September 14-20. The week is dedicated to teaching parents and caregivers about the importance of correct installation and use of car seats, booster seats, and seat belts.  Parents will also be reminded of the importance of registering car seats with the manufacturer so they can be notified in the event of a recall.

NHTSA recommends keeping children rear-facing as long as possible up to the top height or weight allowed by their particular seats. Once a child outgrows the rear-facing car seat, he/she is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness. After outgrowing the car seats, children should be placed in booster seats until they’re big enough to fit seat belts properly without help from a booster seat. The safest place for all kids under 13 is in the back seat of the car.

How-To-SAFETY’s National Seat Check Saturday is being held at their Staten Island South Shore location, by appointment only.  All parents and caregivers can contact How-To-SAFETY for information by emailing at Contact@CarSeatTechnician.com or registering at www.CarSeatTechnician.com/Contact-Us.

How-To-SAFETY is a Staten Island based, health and safety education service, specializing in Child Passenger Safety, offering car seat inspection, installation, and lessons at one of 2 locations, or at your location throughout New York City and parts of New Jersey.  For more details please visitwww.CarSeatTechnician.com

For more information on child car safety, as well as how to find other car seat check events, go to safercar.gov/parents.

How to Prepare for the Free Car Seat Check Event

How to prepare before your appointment:

• Know the following applicable information - before your car seat check-up.
• For every child that rides (or expected to ride) in the vehicle:
• Age, Height, Weight, Any special needs or concerns
• Torso height, if child will not be present during the seat check. Please sit your child into the car seat and note where the tops of the child's shoulders are relative to the back of the seat (to know between which harness slots are the shoulders).  
• If possible, please read the car seat manual and attempt to install the car seat before your appointment. 

What to bring to your appointment: 

• Your child's car seat. 
• Your child, if possible. It's best to have your child attend the car seat check to make sure the seat fits the child properly. If you will not be bringing your child with you, please make sure to check the child's accurate torso height as described above. 
• The installation process requires your attention, so having another adult with you to help watch your child can be very helpful. 
• Bring both the car seat instruction manual and your vehicle owner’s manual to the appointment, if available. 

What to expect during your appointment: 

• Please allow approximately 20 minutes to 1 hour for each seat installation. 
• You will need to complete a standard form with your contact information. 
• Expect instruction and demonstration on how to correctly install your car seat(s). We don't just install it for you - you will learn how to replicate a proper installation. 
• We will ensure you are using the correct seat based on child’s age, weight and height. State laws, Best Practices and manufacturer guidelines will be addressed. Find out more about car seat basics and using the right seat for your child. 
• Check the car seat for recalls. 
• Talk about next steps in car seat safety, and safety in and around cars.
• Sometimes, car seats and vehicles are not compatible for proper car seat installation in the desired, or any vehicle seating positions. In that event, it is recommended to replace the car seat with a more compatible one, and reschedule the car seat check.

How-To-SAFETY Participates in Free Car Seat Check Event hosted by NYC DOT

Safe Kids NYC, led by New York City Department of Transportation, is holding a free car-seat checkup event to help parents and caregivers prevent childhood injuries. This event is held in partnership with Millennium Development and Bergen Beach Youth Organization.

Caregivers can attend the event on Tuesday August 12, 3:00 - 6:00, at Bergen Beach Sports Complex, 2335 Bergen Avenue, Brooklyn, NY. To schedule an appointment, call 212-839-4750, or just Drive-in. Read below about how to prepare for a car seat check-up and what to expect.

How-To-SAFETY is joining NYC DOT for the event to help supplement the efforts in generating awareness about child passenger safety and helping caregivers keep their children safe in the car.

Car crashes are a leading cause of death for children 1-12 years old.  Many times deaths and injuries can be prevented by proper use of car seats, boosters, and seat belts. 

How-To-SAFETY is a NYC based, health and safety education service, specializing in Child Passenger Safety, with car seat fitting locations in Staten Island, NY. 

Contact How-To-SAFETY for more information about scheduling a private car seat inspection and installation at Contact@CarSeatTechnician.com.

9 out of 10 car seats are not installed correctly. Find out if yours is!

Get your car seats checked by a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician.

How to Prepare for the Free Car Seat Check Event

Expecting parents are encouraged to have their car seats checked 2-3 months prior to the baby due date. Don’t wait until the last minute because sometimes babies arrive early! If possible, purchase a new, unused car seat. Read more about buying or borrowing used car seats. If you have not yet purchased a car seat and need some assistance, you can contact us for a consultation.

How to prepare before your appointment:

• Know the following applicable information - before your car seat check-up.
• For every child that rides (or expected to ride) in the vehicle:
• Age, Height, Weight, Any special needs or concerns
• Torso height, if child will not be present during the seat check. Please sit your child into the car seat and note where the tops of the child's shoulders are relative to the back of the seat (to know between which harness slots are the shoulders).  
• If possible, please read the car seat manual and attempt to install the car seat before your appointment. 

What to bring to your appointment: 

• Your child's car seat. 
• Your child, if possible. It's best to have your child attend the car seat check to make sure the seat fits the child properly. If you will not be bringing your child with you, please make sure to check the child's accurate torso height as described above. 
• The installation process requires your attention, so having another adult with you to help watch your child can be very helpful. 
• Bring both the car seat instruction manual and your vehicle owner’s manual to the appointment, if available. 

What to expect during your appointment: 

• Please allow approximately 20 minutes to 1 hour for each seat installation. 
• You will need to complete a standard form with your contact information. 
• Expect instruction and demonstration on how to correctly install your car seat(s). We don't just install it for you - you will learn how to replicate a proper installation. 
• We will ensure you are using the correct seat based on child’s age, weight and height. State laws, Best Practices and manufacturer guidelines will be addressed. Find out more about car seat basics and using the right seat for your child. 
• Check the car seat for recalls. 
• Talk about next steps in car seat safety, and safety in and around cars.
• Sometimes, car seats and vehicles are not compatible for proper car seat installation in the desired, or any vehicle seating positions. In that event, it is recommended to replace the car seat with a more compatible one, and reschedule the car seat check.

How-To-Safety Completes Training in Passenger Safety for Children with Special Health Care Needs

How To Safety completes training course on "Safe Travels for All Children: Transporting Children with Special Health Care Needs", a curriculum developed by National Center for the Safe Transportation of Children with Special Healthcare Needs and the Automotive Safety Program at Indiana University School of Medicine.

Specialized or adaptive child passenger safety seats or restraints are designed specifically for children with special health care needs, and may be required when the use of conventional child passenger safety restraints are not possible or contraindicated.

The specialized training was provided by CHKD Health Center in Virginia Beach, VA. CHKD is a facility for pediatric care in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina for children that need hospitalization, ongoing care for a chronic illness, outpatient surgery or primary care. For information about CHKD car seat safety programs, visit http://www.chkd.org/Our-Services/Rehabilitative-Services-and-Therapy/Car-Seat-Loner-Program/.

Child Passenger Safety Technicians work in a team approach with the child, caregivers, occupational and physical therapists, pediatricians, schools and nurses to resolve transportation needs, provide current information, and assist in proper use and installation. How-To-Safety can provide guidance on transporting children with special needs in the family vehicle, on school buses, public transportation and in other vehicles.

The following medical conditions and procedures may require special consideration during travel: Achondroplasia, Angelman's Syndrome, Apnea, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Behavioral Challenges, Casts, Cerebral Palsy, Conjoined Twins, Developmental Delays, Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip, Down Syndrome, Feeding Tubes, Fragile X Syndrome, Gastroesophageal Reflux, Halo Traction, Hydrocephalus, Hypotonia, Kyphosis, Low Birth Weight and Infants Born Prematurely, Myelomeningocele or Spina Bifida, Obesity, Omphalocele, Osteogenesis Imperfecta, Pierre Robin Sequence, Rett Syndrome, Scoliosis, Seizure Disorders, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, and Tracheostomy.

For more information about car seat safety and safe travel for children with special healthcare needs, contact How-To-SAFETY via www.CarSeatTechnician.com

How-To-SAFETY Joins 2014 NHTSA Region 2 Child Passenger Safety Technical Conference

How-To-SAFETY joins 2014 NHTSA Region 2 Child Passenger Safety Technical Conference. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) along with the Conference Planning Committee is hosting the eleventh Child Passenger Safety Technical Conference held at the Penn Stater Conference Center in State College, Pennsylvania in June of 2014.

The NHTSA Region 2 Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Conference Planning Committee is a group of child passenger safety advocates, comprised of representatives from state and local governments, safety advocacy groups, non-profit and education agencies from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  The Committee’s goal is to organize a regional conference for child passenger safety technicians, instructors and others who are interested in obtaining knowledge about the safe transportation of children.

The conference aims to provide informative sessions that reflect the diversity of the field, with the intent of increasing knowledge and sharing best practices among the States and beyond. Hundreds of CPS technicians, instructors and policymakers will be discussing the most current and accurate occupant protection resources, programs, and delivery systems.

Educational sessions include topics and updates regarding advanced vehicle safety features, crash dynamics, LATCH changes, side impact updates, compartmentalization, EMS pediatric transport, CPS law enforcement, strategies for hospital based OPC programs, school bus safety, top tether observation studies, development and implementation of safety programs, industry trends and resources, pediatrician and parent CPS knowledge, practices following revised AAP policy, transporting children with special healthcare needs, and manufacturer's updates.

How-To-SAFETY is a New York based, health and safety education service, currently specializing in Child Passenger Safety. Child car seat fitting, installation, and education is done by certified CPS Technicians. For more information about How-To-Safety, visit www.CarSeatTechnician.com

How-To-SAFETY attending Safe Kids NYC Conference, May 2014

How-To-SAFETY attending Safe Kids NYC Conference, May 2014. Safe Kids New York City led by NYCDOT is holding a “Safe Kids Healthy Families” Conference, on May 15, 2014 at Lenox Hill Hospital. 

Safe Kids Healthy Families is a multi-disciplinary injury prevention education program for health educators, childcare providers, after-school directors, teachers, social workers, nurses, law enforcement officers and others.

Anna Caffarelli, MHS, Special Projects Coordinator, and Ariel Spira-Cohen, Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist, Bureau of Environmental Disease and Injury Prevention,  NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, are presenting an overview of childhood injuries and fatalities in New York City.

A presentation on bullying is conducted by Dr. Matthew Lorber, Acting Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Outpatient Center for Mental Health, Lenox Hill Hospital.

How-To-SAFETY and other attendees also participate in interactive skills stations on food safety, kitchen fire and burn dangers, bedbugs, stranger danger, first aid basics, medicine safety, ACS resources, and pedestrian safety.

How-To-SAFETY is a New York based, health and safety education service, currently specializing in Child Passenger Safety. Child car seat fitting, installation, and education is done by certified CPS Technicians. For more information about How To Safety, visit www.CarSeatTechnician.com