Child Safety Seat Installation

Are you having trouble installing your child’s safety seat?

Are you sure your child’s safety seat is installed correctly?

Are you wondering if your child is in the right car seat?

MFPD has Child Passenger Safety Technicians who can help.  They can install your car seat for you or make sure you’ve done it correctly.  They can make sure your child is in the right safety seat, based on their size and weight and the type of vehicle.  They can perform a safety inspection of your vehicle and alert you to issues that might endanger your child.  They can alert you to any recalls of your child’s safety seat. 

Our technicians hold National CPS (Child Passenger Safety) certifications*.  This rigorous training includes 32 hours of classroom instruction, hands-on activities and skills assessments with a variety of car seats and vehicles.  In addition to learning the proper use and installation of car seats, booster seats, and seat belts, technicians learn about vehicle safety systems.  Technicians must re-certify every two years, passing a seat check verification where a senior credentialed instructor observes the technicians install five different types of car seats to make sure their skills are sharp.

While we have 16 car safety seat technicians on staff, because of the nature of our work, it is not predictable where or when a technician will be available. To arrange for your safety seat check or installation, call our MIH Division at 314-894-0420 x 1727.

*The National Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) Certification Training is a partnership between the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the National Child Passenger Safety Board (NCPSB), and Safe Kids Worldwide.

THE BEST WAY TO PROTECT CHILDREN IN THE CAR IS TO PUT THEM IN THE RIGHT SEAT AT THE RIGHT TIME—AND USE IT THE RIGHT WAY!

Key Statistics:

  • Car seats and booster seats are often used incorrectly.  One study found that almost 46% of observed car seats and booster seats were misused.  Misuse increases risk of injury or death.1
  • On average, three children are killed and an estimated 487 are injured every day in the U.S. in traffic crashes2
  • When the driver is buckled, children are restrained 92% of the time.3
  • When the driver is unbuckled, children are restrained about 68% of the time.3
  • Car seats decrease the risk of a fatal injury by 71% among infants, and 54% among toddlers.4
  • Booster seats reduce the risk of nonfatal injuries by 45% among four- to eight-year-old children when compared to the seat belt alone.5,6

1 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Results of the National Child Restraint Use Special Study. (May 2015). DOT HS 812 157. 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.  https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812142

2 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (March 2017). Traffic Safety Facts, Children. DOT HS 812 383.  https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812383

3 Li, R., Pickrell, T. M. Occupant Restraint Use in 2016: Results from the NOPUS Controlled Intersection Study. (May 2018, Revised). Report No. DOT HS 812 463. Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812463

4 Kahane CJ. Lives Saved by Vehicle Safety Technologies and Associated Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), 1960 to 2012—Passenger Cars and LTVs—With Review of 26 FMVSS and the Effectiveness of their Associated Safety Technologies in Reducing Fatalities, Injuries, and Crashes. (January 2015). Report No. DOT HS 812 069. Washington, D.C.: National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration. https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812069

5 Arbogast KB, Jermakian JS, Kallan MJ, Durbin DR. Effectiveness of Belt-Positioning Booster Seats: An Updated Assessment. Pediatrics 2009; 124(5):1281-1286. https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/124/5/1281

6 AAA. (2014). Why Are Car Seats Important? https://exchange.aaa.com/safety/child-safety/car-seats/car-seat-faqs/