12.5 Present the Training

Ideally, four to eight hours would cover the presentation and practical exercises. But it’s impractical for most law enforcement agencies to schedule multiple trainings and take officers away from their patrol duties, so shorter timeframes are often better.

Here’s a brief list of what to cover in the training:

• Discuss why law officer-specific training is important.
• Review the basic types of child restraints, airbags, and distracted driving issues.
• Identify the correct use and gross misuse of child passenger restraints through photos and practical exercises.
• Review statistics on prevention/education verses injury/death.
• Explain how the four E’s of traffic safety correspond to child safety seat use.
• Identify ways to work together to educate and enforce the local and state child restraint laws.
• Review the “Train the Trainer” approach.
• Explain the media campaigns that are addressing the new tribal child restraint law.
• Encourage participation in a SNAP course, or even consider becoming a CPST.
• Explain options on how to proceed with warnings or citations.
• Explain resources and training materials you use with community members:

• • National Child Passenger Safety Board
  • SNAP Student Manual
  • CPST Student Curriculum
  • Training dolls
  • Seat belt demo kit