Our good friend Deb Carpenter from Safe Kids Kalamazoo County wanted us to pass along something so obviously important, we shouldn't need to be reminded.  But because it's so important, I'm reminding you.


New study shows that 80 percent of parents think car seat registration card are 
important, but only 42 percent return the card.

David McNew/Getty Images
David McNew/Getty Images
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(Kalamazoo, MI)  – In celebration of National Child Passenger Safety Week (Sept. 13-19), Safe Kids Worldwide, with support from the General Motors Foundation, released new research, “Car Seat Recalls: What Every Parent Needs to Know.”

 

In 2014, more than six million car seats were recalled for a safety defect – the largest car seat recall in U.S. history. Yet, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, fewer than half of those car seats received the necessary repair. The study was created to understand why so few recalled car seats get repaired and to educate parents about the importance of recalls.

 

The research reveals that only 42 percent of parents said they filled out and returned the registration card that comes with a new car seat. That means that on average, six out of 10 parents risk not hearing about a car seat recall in the most timely and dependable manner – directly from the manufacturer. The study surveyed 562 parents of children who use a car seat, and collected responses from 44 parents who participated in an online bulletin board discussion.

 

“The single best way for parents to learn about a recall is to register their car seat with the manufacturer. Unfortunately, this important first step doesn’t happen nearly enough,” said Deb Carpenter coordinator of Safe Kids Kalamazoo County and Childhood Injury Prevention at Bronson Children’s Hospital. “During Child Passenger Safety week, we want to remind all parents to register their car seats and take action when a recall occurs. This is a cost-free remedy the manufacturer provides—and must provide—to protect your child.”

 

Safe Kids Kalamazoo County strongly urges all parents and caregivers to follow these steps to ensure their child is protected in a vehicle.

 

Register Your Car Seat

Option 1: Register online with your car seat manufacturer or www.safercar.gov/parents. You’ll need the model number and date of manufacture found on the label on your car seat.

Option 2: Fill out and mail in the registration card that came with your car seat. It already includes your car seat’s information. No postage required.

 

Find Out if your Car Seat is Recalled

Visit the NHTSA’s website http://bit.ly/recalledseats, and enter your seat’s brand name and model.

During the final day of National Child Passenger Safety Week, recognized as National Seat Check Saturday, Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians will show parents and caregivers how to correctly use, install and register their car seats. Safe Kids Kalamazoo County will host an event:

 

DATE: Saturday September 19, 2015

TIME: 10 am  -2 pm

LOCATION: Westwood Fire Station

1310 Nichols Rd

 Kalamazoo

 

Download the report and infographic.

About Safe Kids Kalamazoo County

 

Safe Kids Kalamazoo County works to prevent unintentional childhood injury, the number one cause of death for children in the United States. Safe Kids Kalamazoo County is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated to preventing unintentional injury. Safe Kids Kalamazoo County was founded in 1998 and is led by Bronson Children’s Hospital For more information, visit safekids.org or safekidskalamazoo.org.

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