TZD Traffic Safety Hotdish: Every Ride Counts—The Lifesaving Power of Proper Car Seat, Booster Seat, and Seat Belt Use
April 16, 2025
10:00–11:15 a.m. Central
About the Event
Jennifer’s family experienced a tragic loss in 2024 when her adult daughter was killed in a car crash. Despite this, Jennifer’s grandchildren, who were properly secured in their car seats, survived the crash unharmed. This heartbreaking story highlights the life-saving importance of correctly using car seats, booster seats, and seat belts on every ride.
This session will reinforce how the proper use of safety restraints can make all the difference in protecting vehicle occupants on the road. We will provide an update on Minnesota's Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Law and give an overview of the state’s occupant protection programs and the critical work of CPS liaisons and technicians across the state. Additionally, we will offer valuable information on how to become a certified child passenger safety technician (CPST).
Speakers
Jennifer Starkson is a mom to four beautiful children and three sweet grandchildren. She is married to Bruce and they own an old-fashioned supper club.
Tara Helm of the Minnesota Safety Council is a passionate public health advocate and injury prevention expert with extensive experience in child passenger safety. She holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) in community health promotion from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and a Bachelor of Arts in social welfare from the University of Wisconsin Madison, where she also earned a Certificate in Global Health. Tara has been a certified child passenger safety technician (CPST) since 2014 and became a CPST-instructor in October 2024. Currently, Tara serves as the community programs and occupant protection manager at the Minnesota Safety Council. In this role, she leads the state’s child passenger safety program and occupant protection program through a grant with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Office of Traffic Safety. She also manages the Safe Kids Minnesota program, working to protect children from preventable injuries.
Marissa Brown is a child passenger safety technician and works at Sanford Health in both Tracy and Westbrook locations as the manager of Ancillary Services and Community Relations/Marketing. Her and her husband Jake have three kids ages 5, 8, and 11; they live on a farm near Lamberton, Minnesota.
Registration
The webinar is free to attend, but registration is required. Once you have registered, you will receive an email confirmation with a Zoom link. The link should not be shared with others; it is unique to you.
Credit
Attendees are eligible for 1.25 Professional Development Hours (PDHs). Download the PDH credit form (PDF) for your records.More Information
More Information
Contact Linda Dolan at ldolan@umn.edu.
Sponsors
This event is offered by the Minnesota Toward Zero Deaths Program and the Minnesota Departments of Health, Public Safety, and Transportation, with funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It is hosted by the University of Minnesota's Center for Transportation Studies.