Buckle Up Blog

Yesterday began, as it does for so many of us college students, with a cup of coffee and a click of the seatbelt. But after a typical work day, things took a pretty abrupt turn when I got into a car crash on my way home.

Dustin Gessert receives a Badge of Courage Award

From his pictures, Dustin Gessert looks like he and actor Bradley Cooper were separated at birth. But Gessert, an officer with the Wisconsin Rapids Police Department, made his own headlines recently as the leading man in a rescue story.

On an 85-degree day at the end of May, Officer Gessert was responding to an unrelated child welfare 911 call when he came across what could have been a tragic situation. He had to look twice before he saw the small boy, left alone in a car.

 

Summer Safety Tips

Summer time usually includes traveling time for so many families across the country. Whether your summer adventures are on the road, in the air, or just preparing for family and friends to visit, here are a few tips to help you travel safely over the summer:

Protect children against heatstroke

Does it ever seem like Washington isn’t listening to us? Well, recently the Senate Appropriations Committee sent a message that they were hearing us.

Global Road Safety Week

Once kids take their first steps, they can't wait to keep going. But when it comes to walking to the park or school along roads, it can be a challenge for kids to safely get to where they need to go.

This week marks the second annual United Nations Global Road Safety Week and an important opportunity to highlight how to keep kids safe on roads.

pedestrian safety

I was in a 7-by-10-foot room in Coyoacán, Mexico City, when Paco saw the tweet.

“A child was hit by a car in Mexico City this morning,” he announced, and I heard the combination of frustration, sorrow and exhaustion in his voice.

car passenger safety

Sometimes it takes traveling more than 7,000 miles to get a fresh perspective on something you’ve been doing for more than 25 years. That’s what happened to me in December when my colleague, Alexis Kagiliery, and I traveled to Doha, Qatar to conduct a technician certification.

booster seat law

A car crash happens so quickly, but the pain can last forever, especially when it’s the pain of losing a child. Last April, 5-year-old Jason Santamaria went for a drive with his Aunt Florencia. Based on Jason’s size and weight, the safest place for him to ride was in a car seat or booster seat in the back seat of the car.

booster seat safety

As a certified child passenger technician and instructor, working in injury prevention, I frequently hear this question. Not surprising, given tight household budgets and the constantly increasing costs of raising children.

First, let’s look at the things that rule out using secondhand seats, then we can better determine when it’s okay.

car seat checkup

With the holidays quickly approaching, now is the time to make final arrangements for vacations and travel. As a CPS Technician, I get asked all kinds of questions about the safest way to travel.

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