CPST: What Is It {and why you might need one}

CPST

What in the world is that? Have you heard it mentioned before?

CPST stands for Child Passenger Safety Technician.

Simply put, a Child Passenger Safety Technician is a person trained in how to properly and safely restrain children in vehicles.  Carseat techs have taken a week-long class which includes both classroom instruction and hands-on application. The course ends with both a written test and carseat installation test.

A CPST is a fabulous resource. Even if you have read your seat’s manual AND have read your car’s manual AND feel like you have gotten a great install, it is a good idea to have your seat checked.

A good CPST will not only check and/or install your seat for you, the tech will also TEACH you how to do it yourself so you can be sure your seat is correct should you need to re-install on your own.  Techs are also armed with fantastic resources regarding specific issues for both car models and seat models. (Do you know the weight limit for LATCH on your vehicle? A CPST can tell you!)

Many emergency personnel are certified technicians, though you may have more success with a dedicated tech found through Safe Kids Coalition. No disrespect whatsoever toward our emergency personnel – it’s just that carseat safety is jut another course taken amidst many very important courses for training. Many dedicated techs become certified out of a desire to learn more and share their knowledge with others. They often stay current on best practices where others may simply become certified and not stay current.

If you are passionate about carseat safety, you can become certified as well! You can find more information at Safe Kids.

Now, how do you FIND a CPST in your area? Safe Kids has you covered there as well! Simply click through to find techs and seat check events plus other safety events in your area!

Have you ever had a CPST help you with carseat installs?

{photo credit}