Let Talk CPST!

Did you know that 8 out of our 12 Hip Baby Gear staff are CPSTs? You may have heard or seen the term CPST...But what the heck is that? A CPST is a Certified Passenger Safety Technician. These certified car seat techs undergo specialized training to become experts in car seat use! They take a roughly 40 hour course by NHTSA (national highway traffic safety administration) in collaboration with National CPS Board and Safe Kids Worldwide. Certified Passenger Safety Technicians need to recertify every 2 years.

Weve all been there- struggling to install a car seat and just hoping its "secure enough" to work. But the thing is, car seats and boosters are often used incorrectly. If they are not used properly, they won't keep your child safe in an accident. One study found that 46% of observed carseats and boosters were misused.* Thats pretty high! Perhaps the child was moved to the next step too soon; maybe the straps are too loose or incorrectly routed; maybe the seat itself isn't installed properly. Laws take a while to catch up to research, so many state laws are actually not based on current crash test findings and therefor, are not the safest. Wording on the carseats themselves can be confusing. And to make matters worse, majority of pediatricians and nurses haven't had any formal car seat safety training and are not CPSTs. Because of that, they may give unsafe advice (ugh!)  Its no wonder why parents find themselves a bit overwhelmed in this stage of parenthood! 

But fear not! Superhero CPST are here to help! A CPST will teach you HOW to use your seat correctly- judgment free- so you can keep your child safe in the car every single ride. They are happy to meet with parents, other caregivers and grandparents too which takes the pressure off a parent. (goodbye safety conflicts with the inlaws). CPSTs want to meet you where you are in your child's life stage, and simplify the process of correct usage.

Many offer free or a minimal charge to meet with you. (Perks of shopping with us: Free 1:1 appointment with one of our CPST when you purchase a carseat from us) Or you can opt to find a car seat event near you! 

Don't live locally? Find a CPST near you today HERE: Welcome! | National CPS Certification (safekids.org)

Still have questions or want to meet with one of our techs? Drop us a note !

* National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Results of the National Child Restraint Use Special Study (May 2015) https://crashstats.nhsta.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812142