Jessica Pasley

The Stay Seat Smart Program at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt recently received funding from General Motors to address child safety seat misuse through education, community outreach and media awareness.

Injuries and accidents have long been a leading cause of death for children in the United States. Motor vehicle collisions are one of the main contributors to those deaths.

In 2021, 82 Tennessee children died from an injury sustained during a car crash, putting the state’s fatality rate at 43.2% higher than the national average. Over one-third of children who died from a crash in 2020 were not properly restrained.

The Stay Seat Smart Program hopes to address the issue.

“The use of age- and size-appropriate car seats is imperative in keeping children safe,” said Emily Roberts, associate program manager, Stay Seat Smart, Pediatric Trauma Injury Prevention at Monroe Carell. “We would like to thank General Motors for their support of our program.

“Their funding assistance allows us to provide education and awareness throughout Middle Tennessee to help reduce child safety seat misuse,” she said.

The program uses a multipronged approach to reach the most vulnerable populations who would be targeted through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, Head Start programs, refugee groups and the public school system.

“We are proud to support the team at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt as they work to address child safety seat misuse through their Stay Seat Smart Program,” said Anton Busuttil, plant executive director, GM Spring Hill Assembly. “Safety is GM’s No. 1 priority, and we’re thrilled to extend that commitment into the community by supporting this work.”

Through the Stay Seat Smart Program, the hospital hopes to reach more than 150 new and expectant mothers, caregivers, and families and 2,000 event participants through outreach events. These workshops/community events will be provided virtually as well as in person.

According to the National Safety Council:

• 58% of rear-facing car seats are installed incorrectly.
• 78% of forward-facing car seats are installed incorrectly.
• 90% of children using lap and shoulder belts should still be in a forward-facing car seat or booster seat.

Go here for upcoming car seat checks and more information.