Automotive Safety Program

12/20/2025

⚠️ PSA: Winter Coats and Car Seats Don't Mix! ⚠️ Bulky jackets and snowsuits compress in a crash, leaving too much space between your child and the harness. The fix? First, buckle the harness snugly without the coat. Keep your child warm by covering them with a coat or a blanket over the buckled and tightened straps.

National Safety Council National CPS Certification NHTSA Safe Kids Worldwide

12/16/2025

Thanks Country Kids Car Seat Safety for the great explanation!

Remember that each seatbelt can vary slightly so check these 5 steps for each vehicle and each seating position ☑️

12/08/2025

Have questions about the "pinch test"? Indiana Child Passenger Safety Technicians are here to help!

Stay safe (and warm) out there ❄️

12/01/2025

📢Recall Alert!!🚨

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025 Tucson, 2025-2026 Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, and 2026 Genesis GV70 vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not have been installed properly, which can cause the air bags not to deploy as intended.

Dealers will reinstall the side curtain air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed January 19, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's numbers for this recall are 289 and 029G. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 22, 2025.

Find more information here: https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=25V809

Use our VIN lookup tool to check for recalls on your car, or search by make and model. Our databases also list car seats, tires, and equipment recalled for unreasonable safety risk or failing to meet minimum safety standards.

11/25/2025

No matter how far your Thanksgiving travel plans may take you, buckle up and be safe out there 🦃

Get where you're going in one piece this Thanksgiving — ALWAYS buckle up. ✅

11/18/2025

Keeping your eyes on the road is one of the first things we all learn about safe driving. So why would anyone ever think it is okay to text when behind the wheel, or do anything else that takes your attention from driving? Your kids are counting on you to focus on the drive! Take the National Safety Council pledge to drive distraction-free: https://www.cpsboard.org/car-seat-safety/car-seat-safety-distracted/

National Safety Council National CPS Certification NHTSA Safe Kids Worldwide

11/11/2025

📢Recall Alert!!🚨

Wheelchair Restraint Retractor May Not Lock. An unlocked wheelchair can move during transit or during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Manufacturer: Braun Corporation

Summary

Braun Corporation (Braun) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Chrysler Pacifica, 2022-2025 Toyota Sienna, and 2022-2026 Honda Odyssey vehicles equipped with wheel chair restraint retractors. The retractors may not lock, preventing the wheelchair from being properly secured.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect and replace the retractors as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 19, 2025. Owners may contact Q'Straint's customer service at 1-800-987-9987 or Braun's customer service at 1-800-488-0359.

For more information, visit

Use our VIN lookup tool to check for recalls on your car, or search by make and model. Our databases also list car seats, tires, and equipment recalled for unreasonable safety risk or failing to meet minimum safety standards.

11/04/2025

📢Recall Alert!!🚨
BMW of North America, LLC

Summary:
BMW of North America, LLC is recalling certain 2026 2 Series Gran Coupe, X1, X2, and Mini Countryman S ALL4 vehicles. The housing pin in the rear (left and/or right) seat belt retractors may have been damaged during production, resulting in the retractor not locking the seat belt as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies."

Remedy:
Dealers will replace the rear (left and/or right) seat belts, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed December 12, 2025. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning December 12, 2025.

Visit https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=25V717 for more information.

Use our VIN lookup tool to check for recalls on your car, or search by make and model. Our databases also list car seats, tires, and equipment recalled for unreasonable safety risk or failing to meet minimum safety standards.

10/29/2025

Charles Warren Fairbanks School 105 Thanks for letting us spread education and resources to your kiddos and families at Parent Teacher Conferences last week!

10/27/2025

🎃 Halloween Safety Tips for Little Trick-or-Treaters! 👻

Those adorable bulky costumes might look so cute — but just like puffy winter coats, they don’t belong in a car seat!

Here’s how to keep your little goblin, unicorn, or superhero safe on the go:

Dress your child in a close-fitting base layer (leggings, tights, a t-shirt, or a unitard).

Transport the bulky costume in the trunk and help your child slip into it when you arrive.

Take it off again before the ride home.

Try to avoid frequent car stops. Park once and walk together, use sidewalks whenever possible!

Did you know? The risk of children being hit by a car nearly doubles on Halloween night.

Frequent curbside stops add unnecessary risk, and many kids aren’t buckled in correctly for those “just down the block” rides. Even if you’re going slow, other drivers may not be.

Add light-up, reflective, or glowing features to your child’s costume so they can be seen from the front, back, and every side, even in the dark.

Let’s make sure every little monster, princess, and unicorn has a safe, magical Halloween! 🦄💫🍬

10/24/2025

Hello Indiana Instructors and Technicians! Happy Friday, and hope you are staying warm in this cool autumn weather.

Quick Child Passenger Safety Training program update:

As of the end of the day Friday October 24th, the Automotive Safety Program Child Passenger Safety Training Coordinator position will be vacant.

In the interim please direct all Child Passenger Safety Training related questions/comments/concerns to ASP Program Director Bobbie Priester at rprieste@iu.edu and use the topic as the subject line, such as: Instructor questions, stipends, scholarships for cert. courses and recertification, course planning, etc.

For the time being, if your are scheduling a public certification course and will be requesting ASP funding or support, please designate Becky Tamosaitis as Course Administrator.

Thank you!

10/21/2025

October 20-24 is National School Bus Safety Week!

School buses transport 21.4 million children daily- Take a look at this message from The National Coalition for Safer Roads on how we can all help create Safe Stops and Stronger Communities:

https://ncsrsafety.org/national-school-bus-safety-week-2025/