Virginia Department of Health launched the “First Ride, Safe Ride,” program in 2010; a health care provider-focused project that promotes the safe transportation of newborns with the first ride home. This project breaks down the barriers that hospitals face in educating new parents about child passenger safety; and provides free resources for patient distribution, health care provider education through staff training, guidelines, web site and listserv. With this level of support, hospitals are able to improve related hospital policies, offer consistent and accurate child passenger safety education to parents and inform parents of local resources for future use.
Health Care Provider Training
The First Ride, Safe Ride training is a free 2-hour child passenger safety training for health care providers (i.e., nurses, doctors, volunteers, transporters) and anyone else that assists with hospital discharge education for newborns. Participants will be able to understand public health impact and current Virginia Child Passenger Safety laws; receive hands on demonstration education; and learn best practices in child passenger safety. Hospitals also can receive technical assistance in the form of safe transportation of children policy templates.
To learn more or to schedule a training, contact ivp@vdh.virginia.gov
This continuing nursing education activity was approved by the Virginia Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
Free Print Materials
VDH offers FREE patient resources as part of the First Ride Safe Ride Program.
Materials are available to support your educational efforts. The following items can be ordered here. Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery of materials.
- Child Passenger Safety Brochure (dual language English/Spanish)
- Child Passenger Safety Poster (dual language English/Spanish)
- A Parent’s Guide to Protecting Your Baby With a Child Safety Seat – English Version
- A Parent’s Guide to Protecting Your Baby With a Child Safety Seat – Spanish Version
- 4 Steps to Child Passenger Safety: Flipbooks
The following resources can be downloaded and printed:
- Health Care Provider Guide to Child Passenger Safety for Newborns
- Car Bed Tip Sheet
- Child Safety Seats for Premature and LBW Infants
American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statements and Recommendations
Policy Statement Child Passenger Safety (Pediatrics published online November 2018)
Safe Transportation of Newborns at Hospital Discharge (PEDIATRICS Vol. 104 No. 4 October 1999, pp. 986-987)
Safe Transportation of Preterm and Low Birth Weight Infants at Hospital Discharge (Pediatrics 2009;123;1424-1429)
Rear-Facing Car Safety Seats: Getting the Message Right (Pediatrics 2008;121;619-620)
What to consider when positioning car seats for toddlers (AAP News Vol. 30 No. 4 April 2009, p. 12)
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
NHTSA Recommendations: Hospital Discharge Recommendations for Safe Transportation of Children (2014)