Injury Prevention

Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death among American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) children ages 1-9.  Yet the majority of severe motor vehicle injuries and deaths are preventable through the use of a child safety seat or seatbelt.

All Northern Plains Healthy Start Community Health Workers have completed National Highway Traffic (NHTSA) Child Passenger Safety (CPS) technician training and are qualified to make sure your car seats are installed correctly and teach you how to use and install a car seat on your own.

Northern Plains Healthy Start also provides child safety seats to families in need. (Subject to funding and seat availability) and sponsors community education events where child passenger safety experts will teach you about infant car seat safety and answer all of your child passenger safety questions.

Contact your local Healthy Start office to find out how you can learn to properly restrain your baby’s car seat in a vehicle, select the best and safest car seat for your vehicle, to avoid common misuses, and what after-market products are and whether they are  useful and safe.

The Indian Health Service developed the Ride Safe Program to help tribal communities address motor vehicle injuries among American Indian and Alaska Native children. Ride Safe aims to reduce the rate of motor vehicle-related injuries to children aged 3 to 5 years enrolled in participating tribal Head Start programs by promoting child restraint use.