Car and Car Seat Safety
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Car and Car Seat safety are common concerns for many parents of children and youth with special healthcare needs (CYSHCN). Many CYSHCN require specialized equipment to ensure their safety when traveling. The Automotive Safety Program at Indiana University School of Medicine has resources available for families to learn more about how to safely travel with their child(ren). They identify two main categories of child passenger safety restraints:
The Safety Store at Riley Children’s Hospital offers low car safety products to families, including conventional car seats, car sun shades, car emergency escape tools, and medical emergency kits. Safety Store employees are trained educators, and they are able to provide families with safety advice, product suggestions, and free educational materials. Families can contact The Safety Store online or at 317-274-6565. Car Safety experts agree that in addition to selecting the appropriate child safety restraints for CYSHCN, parents also need to ensure that their child’s safety equipment is being properly installed and utilized. There are many free child safety seat clinics around the state that offer car seat inspections by a certified inspector. These Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians (CPSTs) can not only check to see if a child safety seat has been properly installed, but they can also teach parents how to correctly install seats and utilize safety equipment on their own. Free clinics can be found through many major health or hospital organizations, as well as through many police and fire departments. A few programs with clinics throughout the state include: When teaching CYSHCN about the importance of car and child seat safety, social stories and videos can be a helpful tool for many families. There are many social stories and videos available online:
Families can also create their own social story to personalize information and photos for their own child. Additionally, Indiana Family to Family Pinterest has a board specifically dedicated to safety resource information. Educational Resources for Parents of CYSHCNThere are many additional educational tools available to help parents and caregivers learn more about car and car seat safety for CYSHCN.
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Programs and systems change often. It is important to ensure that you are using the most current information. Please check https://www.inf2f.org/fact-sheets.html for the most recent edition.
This fact sheet was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $96,750 with 89% percent financed with nongovernmental sources. The contents are those of INF2F and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.
This fact sheet was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $96,750 with 89% percent financed with nongovernmental sources. The contents are those of INF2F and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.
