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Nissan's Snug Kids Celebrates A Decade Of Helping Secure The Safety Of Children


toddler in car seat (select to view enlarged photo)

- Industry-first child passenger safety program marks 10th anniversary -

- Nissan will host car seat-check day for Nashville-area residents October 5-

FRANKLIN, TN--Sept. 14, 2012: Nissan kicks off Child Passenger Safety Week by celebrating the 10th anniversary of its Snug Kids program, the automotive industry's first child safety seat fit initiative. Since 2002, Nissan has provided parents and caregivers with peace of mind by offering valuable tools and resources to help determine which child safety seats fit properly in Nissan and Infiniti vehicles, as well as tips on how to achieve a secure fit when installing a rear or forward-facing child seat or booster.

"Ten years ago Nissan made child passenger safety a priority and pioneered the Snug Kids program to help parents ensure the safety of their most precious cargo," said Bob Yakushi, director of product safety, Nissan North America. "We are proud to be the only automaker who offers a comprehensive seat fit guide for all of our products with a back seat."

To celebrate its decade-long commitment to safety and to help arm Nashville-area residents with the tools needed to install child-restraint systems properly, the automakers will have certified technicians onsite at its Franklin headquarters to inspect child car seats and offer step-by-step instruction on proper installation. This event is open to the public. Parents or caregivers wanting to have their seats checked should visit Nissan at 1 Nissan Way, Franklin, Tenn., between 1-3 p.m. Oct. 5.

Knowing how to properly secure a child in a correct-fitting child safety seat is one of the most important things that parents can do to help protect their children in a vehicle. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), automobile accidents are the leading cause of death for children ages 1--12. However, the use of a child-restraint system has been shown to reduce fatalities by 71 percent in infants and 54 percent in toddlers, which makes finding the right child-restraint system a vital part of protecting child passengers.

Also during the first week of October, Nissan will host a Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) course at its training center in Cool Springs, Tenn., for area first responders. During the four-day course, firefighters and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) will learn about crash dynamics, injury prevention strategies, and child-restraint selection and installation. Participants who complete the training will receive national certification and will be able to offer seat-check days to residents in their own communities.

During the past 10 years, Nissan's safety engineers have dedicated thousands of hours to evaluating hundreds of child-restraint systems by installing them in the rear seats of Nissan and Infiniti products. The results are published in a comprehensive child safety seat fit guide for parents and caregivers. Nissan's process for evaluating the compatibility of child-restraints in vehicles has been recognized as an industry leader and in 2011, the automaker announced its planned participation in the Vehicle-CRS Fit Program, a future initiative proposed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Much like Snug Kids, NHTSA's program would be aimed at helping consumers choose child-restraint systems that properly fit their vehicles and would encourage other vehicle manufacturers to voluntarily assess and recommend at least three current child-restraint models in each category (rear-facing, front-facing and booster) for use in current vehicle models. The agency would then publish the listings at www.safercar.gov.

More information about Snug Kids, upcoming events, or a download of the Child Safety Seat Fit Guide, can be found online at Snug Kids.