Child Safety Seat Bounty Program Guide

graphic - Child Safety Seat Introduction

One of the results of every checkup event is a pile of child safety seats that are taken from vehicles and discarded because they do not meet current safety standards. The challenge is to destroy those seats so that no one else uses them. But what about the families who did not attend the checkup event? What about child safety seats that are sitting in attics or garages? And what about the child seat that is passed around in families for years? To answer those questions, some communities have started bounty programs.

What is a Bounty Program?

According to Webster’s dictionary, a bounty is a reward or subsidy usually associated with capturing an outlaw in the wild west. In this case, the outlaw is the child safety seat that does not meet acceptable safety standards. A bounty program is designed to collect and destroy child safety seats that are unsafe to use. In addition, the program educates the public about why some child safety seats are considered unsafe to use and focuses attention and energy on the importance of child passenger safety issues. Many consumers use the Web to sell and purchase used child safety seats, but even more consumers search for used child safety seats in yard sales, flea markets, and thrift stores. With that in mind, the need to educate the public about possible safety problems with used child safety seats is greatly increasing. When considering how to protect young passengers, parents and care givers need as much information as possible to assist them in the decision making process regarding the level of protection a child safety seat will provide. Here is the bottom line—a bounty program removes unsafe child safety seats from circulation. In addition, it provides the news media with a fresh approach to child passenger safety. It brings new partners to the table, increases awareness concerning child safety seat recalls and defects, and educates the public about replacing seats that have been involved in a collision.

Why is There a Need for a Bounty Program?

In general, the public may believe all child safety seats provide equal protection and may not realize the dangers of unsafe seats. A bounty program provides child passenger safety advocates an opportunity to increase awareness and educate the public. It also provides a way of removing unsafe seats from circulation. (A Used Child Safety Seat Checklist is provided in the Appendix in a reproducible format.) Reasons to remove seats from circulation may include:

The Child Safety Seat Bounty Program Guide is designed to be a blueprint to assist community leaders and child safety advocates in planning and implementing a child safety seat bounty program at the grassroots level. Each community should access needs and formulate an action plan that most clearly meets its needs and goals. This guide is intended as a reference and need not be followed exactly.

Program Coordination

To ensure a successful program, coordination is extremely important. The program coordinator is key to the success of a bounty program. Likely candidates to consider for program coordinator may be from such organizations as:

Program coordination responsibilities may include:

Coalition Building

Many civic organizations and agencies express interest in child passenger safety issues. Potential involvement is unlimited! Program partners may include, but are not limited to:

Coalition building with local businesses and agencies is an essential part of the bounty program. Partnerships allow individuals to work together for a common purpose to make more effective and efficient use of resources. To maximize the interest of local agencies and civic organizations, invite community leaders and interested individuals to a kickoff meeting with the goal of infusing each person with the desire to develop a safer community. Once the representative knows the purpose and benefits of a child safety seat bounty program, they will be off and running.

Collection Sites

The community is interested; a game plan is in place, and all is ready for the big event. Where will parents and care givers take child safety seats to determine their safety? The next step is to develop a network for collection sites. Easy accessibility to community agencies or organizations is ideal. Previous projects have found that fire stations, police stations, health departments, grocery stores, vehicle dealerships, and automotive repair shops are excellent locations. These organizations not only serve as a collection site but also as a place to distribute educational materials and encourage people to claim their “bounty.”

Things to consider when choosing collection sites include:

Media Involvement

Child passenger safety makes headlines every day someplace in America. When seeking the support of local media for the bounty program, emphasize that the program is a unique and resourceful way to get unsafe child safety seats out of circulation. Also, discuss the benefits for the local media as they participate in the life-saving endeavor. One benefit for media is the role they play as providers of safety education by raising awareness of child passenger safety issues and promoting the program.

The participation of media ensures that the community understands:

Radio and Television and the Public Service Announcement (PSA)

There are a couple of ways to initially involve the radio or television outlet in a community. Consider approaching the station manager and requesting support in recording and providing free air time for a 45-second PSA. (A sample PSA is included in the Appendix of this guide.) Appropriate air time on the radio might be during the morning and evening commute. A television station may consider using a morning show format or a spot during the evening news cast. If a media outlet cannot provide free recording and air time, work with the program department to schedule an opportunity to be a guest.

Newspapers

Local newspapers may be used to promote the program as well as to provide educational articles to the public. A sample promotional article and an article to educate the public about the dangers of used child safety seats have been included in the Appendix of this guide. A promotional flyer for distribution at local businesses or to be used as a poster is also included in the Appendix in a reproducible format.

Remember, it is important to utilize local media for publicizing the program before and after the event. Invite the media to participate in coverage of the destruction of the unsafe seats. A basic outline to keep in mind for the newspaper may be a step-by-step approach. Tell the public:

graphic - step-by-step aproach

Protocol for Destruction of Unsafe Seats

Once a child safety seat has been deemed unsafe for use, it must be destroyed. The cooperation of the person who will destroy the unsafe seats is necessary. Unsafe seats must be destroyed—not simply discarded. Locating a company or individual with a bulldozer or garbage truck to crush the seats, or a local landfill to smash and bury the seats, is not only desirable but is an integral part of a successful program. Another option for destroying seats is to collaborate with a local plastic recycling center. Before destroying seats, follow these simple steps:

A child safety seat must be destroyed if:

  • the seat was manufactured prior to January 1, 1981
  • the seat is not labeled to meet federal safety standards
  • the seat has ever been involved in a collision
  • the seat is recalled by the government and not repaired or cannot be repaired
  • the seat has no date of manufacture and/or model number
  • the seat is older than five years in Texas
  • the seat is rusted, cracked, or has a broken shell or frame
  • the seat has missing parts such as the buckle, retainer clip, shield, or pad
  • the instruction booklet is missing and the manufacturer has gone out of business
  • the history of the seat is unknown

It is not enough to collect the child safety seats and destroy them. Each community should develop a protocol for surrendering or turning in unsafe child safety seats. Careful documentation must be followed, and signatures and release from liability are critical. It is recommended that any form developed for a program be reproduced on carbonless, or NCR paper.

The original copy should be filed with the program coordinator, and the carbon copy should be given to the person surrendering the unsafe seat. A form to use for surrendering unsafe child safety seats is included in the Appendix of the guide; it may be reproduced or used as a model and customized for your particular needs.

Bounties

A reward or “bounty” is offered to anyone who turns in an eligible child safety seat. Bounties are distributed by individuals at the collection site. Bounties may include but are not limited to the following:

Bounty Program Materials

Handbills, “reward” posters, flyers, and other materials that define unsafe seats and promote child passenger safety must be produced and distributed. A recognizable reward voucher (coupon for a free item) may be developed, or businesses may already have a coupon they prefer to use.

The following materials are included for use with the bounty program:

Free child safety seat literature on correct selection, use, and installation may be obtained by contacting:

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What are collection sites, and what purposes do collection sites serve? How many sites are needed? Are people at collection sites knowledgeable about child safety seats?
    • Any business, agency, or organization that is easily accessible to the public and has storage space can be a collection site. The number of collection sites needed is based on the area served by the program. It is important to have enough sites so people won’t have to drive long distances to turn in seats. A program serving a large metropolitan area or one operated statewide needs more locations than one serving a small town. People working in collection sites need not be familiar with child safety seat technology. Collection sites simply provide a place for people to bring unsafe child safety seats in exchange for a reward. Other ways collection sites can be involved include displaying posters, advertising the program, talking about the program, distributing education materials, and hosting destruction events.
  2. Does it cost a lot of money to implement a bounty program?
    • No, it does not have to be an expensive program. Sponsors are not hard to find.
  3. How long should a bounty program run?
    • There is no ideal length of time. Some communities have continued to collect and destroy seats as an ongoing activity with or without rewards. When deciding how long you wish to operate a program, consider the following:
      • How much time does the committee think is necessary to collect a reasonable number of child safety seats?
      • Will the drop sites have sufficient space to store the collected child safety seats for the duration of the program? If not, can storage space be arranged elsewhere?
      • Does the public have enough time to become familiar with and participate in the program?
    • NOTE: Regardless of the length of the program, people will continue to bring in seats many months after the program has ended.
  4. Must all the seats be destroyed, or can those in better condition be recycled?
    • It is not recommended that a loaner program be added to the original objective of the bounty effort. A bounty effort and a loaner program are two separate and distinct projects and should not be combined into one. There is a real liability if child safety seats are not destroyed but recycled.
  5. Can the metal or plastic parts of the bounty seats be recycled?
    • In theory, yes, the parts may be recycled. However, most businesses who collect the child safety seats and safety advocates are not interested in recycling parts of child safety seats.
  6. Are there liability concerns in operating a bounty program?
    • Probably not if all the seats are destroyed and the collection of child safety seats is carefully documented.
  7. Should a limit be placed on how many “rewards” any one person can collect? What if a thrift or secondhand store wants to turn in seats?
    • Other bounty programs have found it useful not to place any limits on the number of rewards a person can collect. Encourage thrift stores and secondhand stores to examine their inventory and to participate in the program.

For sample handouts, public service announcement (PSAs) and other useful information, please download the Child Safety Seat Bounty Program Guide (PDF).

 

 

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Last updated: 16 September, 2009

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