CPD ACCREDITED CHILD SEAT TRAINING COURSE LAUNCHED TO TACKLE THE 71% FAILURE RATE IN CHILD CAR SEATS
New figures from Good Egg Safety, the UK’s largest in-car safety campaigner, reveal that 71% of child car seats are either fitted incorrectly or incompatible to the child or car. The figures, collected from just under 3,000 child car seat checks throughout Britain in 2015, suggest child seat safety remains a significant problem, with many parents either unaware how to fit seats or given incorrect advice at the point-of-sale.
To help tackle the problem, TRL, the Transport Research Laboratory, has launched a new CPD (Continuous Professional Development) accredited Advanced Child Seat Training Course, delivered in partnership with Good Egg Safety. The training course, aims to address the problem of child seat safety by providing retailers, road safety professionals and child safety advocates with the training and information needed to correctly advise members of the public on the correct installation and use of car seats.
The one-day course provides participants with an understanding of key areas including; how car seats are tested, how to choose the right car seat and how to install them correctly within vehicle. The CPD accreditation means that any individuals attending the course can also gain CPD credits, which will count towards professional accreditation.
The CPD Certification Service helps organisations formalise knowledge into a structured and recognised approach to learning. In order to gain CPD accreditation, the training course went through a rigorous and independent assessment process to verify that all training is delivered to the highest standards. Successful achievement of CPD accreditation, an internationally recognised scheme, signifies that the training course not only provides high quality training, but delivers tangible development benefits to both participants and organisations.
Tanya Robinson, Child Safety Centre Manager at TRL commented; “Choosing and installing the right car seat can be a minefield for parents, so it’s vital that they are getting the right advice from retailers, manufacturers and road safety professionals. That’s exactly what the training course sets out to do
“The CPD accreditation reinforces the value of the course and also demonstrates our commitment to continuous development as a company. Organisations now have the assurance of a recognised and approved training scheme, and participants can include the CPD certificates in their individual training records.
Jan James, CEO of Good Egg Safety added; “The findings from our latest national car seat checks are simply appalling and we are pleased to be able to jointly deliver this accredited training programme, which is nationally and internationally recognized, to help tackle this ongoing problem once and for all.
“After fourteen years of extensive campaigning for the safer transportation of children, we are sadly still seeing fitment errors in more than two thirds of all child car seats. This means that babies and children remain at serious risk, which is completely unacceptable.
“We know from our recent ‘mystery shop’ research, that many leading child seat retailers are failing to give the right advice. This accredited programme will really help to improve standards.”
Welcoming the announcement, Adrian Walsh director RoadSafe said: “Parents rely on sales staff for advice, so accredited training such as this is most welcome”
Alan Kennedy, Road Safety GB Business and Operations Manager added: “This course is very important in providing further layers of knowledge for road safety professionals and others who strive to keep children safe in cars. Accreditation and continuing professional development is vital in the road safety industry and this course is in line with the aims and objectives of the Road Safety GB Academy.”
Following successful accreditation the Advanced Child Seat Training Course is now registered with the CPD standards office and can be found on the CPD website here. More information on the course and what it covers can be found at: http://www.trl.co.uk/training/
Specific corporate training days are also available for companies at their own offices. To find out more, contact enquiries@
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Notes for Editors
About the car seat checks
Figures used in the release are based on 2,914 seats checked by Good Egg Safety in 2015 as of October 6th 2015. A total of 1,632 seats were checked in England, with 77% incorrectly fitted. A further 1,282 were checked in Scotland, with 62% incorrectly fitted. A possible 300+ further checks will be completed before December 2015.
About TRL
TRL, the UK’s Transport Research Laboratory, provides independent and impartial world-class research, consultancy, testing and certification for all aspects of transport. Commercially independent and with over 80 years of knowledge and experience embedded in its history, TRL’s work encompasses a breadth of areas that shape and form today’s transport decisions including: safety, highway engineering and maintenance, sustainability, attitudes and behaviours, simulation and modelling, climate change, engineering, product development, standards and specifications. The company’s expertise is also increasingly being transferred successfully to new sectors including autonomous vehicles, smart cities and energy.
TRL has over 1,000 customers across 145 countries worldwide. More information can be found at www.trl.co.uk
About Good Egg Safety
Good Egg Safety, www.goodeggsafety.com, campaigns to help keep families safer. Good Egg provides information on safe driving for new and older motorists, family cycling, in-car child safety, and in-home child safety.
