Saturday’s 2nd Annual Red CARpet Event in Beverly Hills turned celebrity parents into spokespeople for the importance of child passenger safety. Safe Kids Worldwide partnered with sponsor Britax and host Ali Landry from Spokesmoms for this important public awareness event.
The star-studded day of family-friendly fun was dedicated to raising public knowledge of the dangers related to the leading cause of death for children aged 1 through 12: car accidents. The fatality rate in these car accidents could be reduced by almost half if the correct child passenger safety seats were not just used, but used correctly.
According to one study by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, 3 out of 4 kids are not as secure as they could be because their car seats are not being used correctly.
During the Red CARpet Event, a team of certified car seat technicians installed more than 30 Britax car seats, ranging from their infant car seat, the Chaperone, to their acclaimed convertible seat, the Advocate, to booster seats like the Frontier for celebrities, VIPs, and two MomMes. Ali Landry, a certified car seat technician, helped install some of the car seats.
The afternoon featured educational activities by Lakeshore Learning activity table, a Nestle Reading Nook, face painting, and a giant Sky Zone trampoline. The event also featured interactive booths by Britax, a worldwide leader in making safe car seats, strollers, carriers, and more.
Joining Britax was the Baby Gizmo Company, the leading gear and baby product expert, who filmed a video featuring celebrities and bloggers sharing 20 child passenger safety best practice tips, which are featured below. This video will be released soon, and features Ali Landry, Alison Sweeney, author and host Samantha Ettus, and many others, including Club MomMe.
Britax, the Baby Gizmo Company, and Spokesmoms joined Club MomMe in a huge surprise for one MomMe who gave birth to twins almost three months early this summer, and gifted her a Britax B-Ready Stroller and two Chaperone Car Seats.
Safe Kids Worldwide, an organization had fun educational games geared around child safety that entertained Ali Landry’s daughter, Estella, and my son, Grayson.
Joovy displayed properly installed toy car seats along with their wide line of baby gear including their new BabaSling, Button NYC, a new line of plush and high end blankets, diaper clutches and more. Clean Bee Baby, a car seats and stroller cleaning company featuring all certified car seat technicians to re-install car seats along with Ergobaby premium baby carriers, Cover My Heart nursing cover with back support that doubles as a car seat cover, Milkin Cookies, Fairytales Boutique, Sophie the Giraffe (Sophie herself even made an appearance!), Cuski, Molar Muncher, Eat Cleaner, Crane USA (makers of the most adorable humidifers for kids and adults) and more.
Joining in the event was host Ali Landry (“Hollywood Girls Night”), Tiffani Thiessen (“White Collar”), Alison Sweeney (“Biggest Loser”), Leonor Varela (“Dallas”), Constance Zimmer (“Entourage”), Marla Sokoloff (“The Practice”), Briana Culberson & Vicki Gunvalson (“Real Housewives of Orange County”), Jennifer Aspen (“GCB”), Eric Ladin (“The Killing”), Lindsay Sloane (“Horrible Bosses”), Sarah Lancaster (“Chuck”), Marisol Nichols (“GCB”), Archie Kao (“CSI”), Mark Deklin (“GCB”), Christie Lynn Smith (“General Hospital”), Catherine McCord (host/model), Dave Kushner (musician, Velvet Revolver), Ian Ziering (“Beverly Hills, 90210”), Anya Sarre (celebrity stylist), Talon Smith (“Stars Earn Stripes”), and baby expert Dr. Harvey Karp. Bloggers and other VIPs also joined in the family-friendly festivities.
September 17th – 22nd is National Child Passenger Safety Week. So, in support of this special week, here are 20 Child Passenger Safety Best Practice Tips from Britax:
1. The best way to protect kids in the car is to put them in the right seat, at the right time, and use it the right way.
2. The right car seat or booster fits your child and your car, and is one you will use correctly every time you travel.
3. Before you install your car seat, take some time to read both the car seat instruction manual and your vehicle’s owner manual.
4. Bulky clothing or blankets can prevent a snug harness fit
5. Place the chest clip at your child’s armpit level.
6. Thick padding must not be put under or behind the baby unless it is recommended for use by the manufacturer.
7. Always tighten the harness until snug.
8. When your child is ready for a booster seat you can safely secure your child in a booster seat, using a lap/shoulder seat belt, never a lap belt only.
9. To best protect your child in a crash, car seats must be installed correctly.
10. The back seat is the safest place for children age 12 and under.
11. One of the most important jobs you have as a parent is keeping your child safe when riding in a vehicle.
12. Proper use of car seats helps keep children safe.
13. The AAP recommends all infants and toddlers should ride in a Rear-Facing Car Seat until they are 2 years of age or until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car seat’s manufacturer.
14. Install your car seat using either LATCH or the vehicle seat belt system. You should not use both systems at the same time.
15. The car seat should not move more than one inch front to back or side to side at the belt path.
16. The harness straps should be threaded through the slots at or below the child’s shoulders on a rear-facing car seat.
17. The harness straps should be threaded through the slots at or above the child’s shoulders in a forward-facing car seat.
18. If you have difficulty installing your child seat securely, contact the manufacturer.
19. If a child seat has been involved in a severe crash or is past its expiration date, the seat should be replaced.
20. Register your car seat with the manufacturer.
