Child Passenger Safety Week takes me right back to being a new mom, staring at a car seat and wondering, Did I actually do this right?
I had the manual and the car seat, and I cared very much about getting it right. What I didn’t have was someone who could give me a clear answer I could actually understand and trust.
That experience is ultimately why I started Safe in the Seat in 2018. I began by sharing car seat safety information on social media and translating the technical stuff into information parents could actually understand and use in real life. What started there grew into the Safe in the Seat community and the resources we have today.
Child passenger safety matters all year, but Child Passenger Safety Week gives us a chance to talk about it a little louder and make sure parents know what to check and where to get help. From Sept. 20-26, the focus is on helping parents and caregivers understand what matters most when it comes to keeping kids protected in the car, with practical things they can do to make every ride safer.
How Important Is Proper Car Seat Installation?
Car crashes are a leading cause of death for kids, while we can’t control everything that happens on the road, how our kids are buckled is something we can control.
The numbers are a pretty powerful reminder of just how much the right restraint, used correctly, matters.
According to the NHTSA, car seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers ages 1-4 in passenger vehicles. These statistics underscore the life-saving impact of proper child restraints.
What I really want parents to hear is that you’re not expected to magically know how to do all of this.
Recent data shows that more than two-thirds (67.1%) of all car seats checked by Child Passenger Safety Technicians in 2024 were incorrectly installed and used.
That doesn’t mean parents and caregivers don’t care. In my experience, it’s usually the exact opposite.
Parents are trying to get it right, so they read the manual, watch a video, ask a friend, or Google it from the parking lot, and can still walk away wondering whether the harness is tight enough or the seat is installed correctly. I see loose harnesses, chest clips sitting too low and loose installations all the time, and these are often fixable things parents simply didn’t know to look for.
How could you know if no one ever showed you? That’s the gap I built Safe in the Seat to fill.
What Does Child Passenger Safety Look Like in Practice?
There are a lot of car seat rules out there. Start with the things that make the biggest difference: make sure your child is in the right type of seat for their age and size, the seat is installed correctly, the harness or seat belt fits properly, and you’re not moving them to the next stage before they’re ready.
If you’re not sure about one of those things, ask.
You don’t need to become a car seat expert yourself; you just need to know where to turn when you need one.
That’s why I’m especially excited to be part of this year’s Child Passenger Safety Week event on Saturday, Sept. 26 with Ford Motor Company, Graco, and Corewell Health. At the Ford Experience Center in Dearborn, MI, we will bring families together for a community-focused Car Seat Car Show and Safety Check event in recognition of Child Passenger Safety Week.
If you’re in the area, click here to register to attend for the opportunity to:
- Connect with certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians.
- Have car seats inspected for proper installation and fit.
- Explore the latest innovations in vehicle and car seat safety.
- Receive a new Graco car seat if your current seat is expired or no longer appropriate for your child.1
What I love about events like this is how practical they are. You can pull up in the car you drive every day, with the kid and car seat you use every day, and have someone look at your actual setup with you.
There’s no judgment or expectation that you should already know all of this, just real help and answers you can use on the drive home.
My hope for this week, and honestly for every week, is that more parents leave with fewer questions and more confidence in what they’re doing.
If you’re a parent looking for helpful resources on car seat usage, visit SafeintheSeat.com.
Michelle Pratt is the founder of Safe in the Seat and an internationally recognized Child Passenger Safety Expert.
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1In order to receive a free car seat, child must be present at time of inspection. Donations are prioritized based on need (e.g., car seat is expired, damaged or otherwise deemed unsafe to use by a certified car seat technician)
