A Blue Ribbon Panel was convened in 1995 "to provide recommendations on ways to improve child safety seat compatibility, child passenger safety technology, and education." The Panel, which was composed of representatives from automobile, child restraint and safety belt manufacturers; physicians; and child passenger safety advocates, recommended development of a standardized course designed to teach the fundamentals of child safety seat (CSS) use to safety professionals and other interested parties. Individuals who successfully completed the course would then educate the public in using child restraint systems properly. An added goal was to produce consistency in CSS instruction across the different regions of the country. A team of CSS experts formed as part of the Patterns for Life initiative spent a year and a half developing and pilot testing a curriculum. The result, launched in 1998, was the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Standardized Child Passenger Safety Training Course, which was complemented by a certification process for technicians and technician instructors. This Research Note summarizes an assessment of the training course that was conducted by the Texas Transportation Institute of the Texas A&M University System.
Samenvatting