For the second consecutive year, the GCADA has partnered with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) and Evenflo, to promote National Child Passenger Safety Month throughout the month of September.  This initiative is important to each organization, as making sure that children are buckled in an age and size appropriate car seat or booster seat, can be the difference between life and death.

We have launched our annual Safe Travel For Kids!!™ campaign, which promotes proper child passenger safety seat restraints.  “Motor vehicles have never been safer”, says Charlie Howard, Executive Vice President, GCADA.  “However, reaching out to the community and providing information that makes travel for kids even safer, is a top priority for the new car retailers in the tri-state area.”

Each year, the Safe Travel For Kids!!™ Campaign adopts a new theme.  This year’s theme?  Do you know what milk and car seats have in common?  It’s a little known fact, that they both have expiration dates!  “Many parents don’t realize that when they reuse a car seat, they’re running the risk of using an expired, or soon to be expired product”, said Donna Laake, Injury Prevention Coordinator, CCHMC.  In fact, car seat manufacturers and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), recommend that families replace their car seats and booster seats six years from the date of manufacture.  Why do they expire?  Child safety seats expire for a number of reasons, including weakening of materials and parts, loss or breakage of parts, and older seats will often NOT meet current government safety standards.

To further bring awareness to this initiative, there will be a Car Seat/Booster Seat Giveaway, which will last for the entire month of September.  One of 6 Evenflo car seats and 6 Evenflo booster seats will be given to 12 lucky winners.  “Having a peace of mind in knowing your child is in a secure and reliable safety seat is important and deserving of parents and caregivers”, says Blake Downing, Associate Director of Sales, Evenflo. “Our seats come fully equipped with top notch safety restraints for infants and toddlers, and even grow with the child!”  Click here to register to win 1 of 12 Evenflo car/booster seats.  Winners will be chosen on October 1st.

For more information concerning child passenger safety, click here.