Engineering, Advocacy, and Education: GM and Chevrolet Highlight Child Passenger Safety Week
By Regina Carto, Vice President of Global Product Safety, Systems and Certification, General Motors
Anyone who has wrestled with securing a restless toddler into a car seat knows the mix of relief and reassurance that comes with finally hearing the “click” of the buckle. As both a parent and the leader of GM’s global product safety team, I understand the immense trust families place in their vehicles—and in us as automakers. That trust is something we at GM never take lightly.
Child Passenger Safety Week, observed from September 21–27, 2025, is an important opportunity to underscore how deeply safety is woven into GM’s culture, Chevrolet’s mission, and our partnerships across the industry. Safety is not a single feature or program; it’s a holistic strategy. At GM, that means combining engineering innovation, advocacy, and education to make every ride safer for drivers, passengers, and communities alike.
Education That Reaches Families Directly
Research from Safe Kids Worldwide highlights a startling statistic: more than two-thirds of car seats are either installed or used incorrectly. This reality puts children at unnecessary risk, and addressing it requires both education and action.
That’s why, during this week, Chevrolet dealers nationwide are hosting free car seat check events in collaboration with Safe Kids. Certified child passenger safety technicians—including trained GM employees—will work directly with families to make sure car seats are installed properly and adjusted to each child’s needs. These events are practical, hands-on, and free, ensuring accessibility for all parents and caregivers.
Families can easily find local events through events.safekids.org, making it simple to connect with trained professionals in their communities.
The GM and Chevrolet partnership with Safe Kids Worldwide dates back 27 years, reflecting a sustained commitment to family safety. Together, this collaboration has:
- Reached nearly 30 million parents and caregivers with vital safety information.
- Hosted 2.45 million car seat check events nationwide.
- Donated more than 800,000 car seats to families in need.
In addition, Chevrolet supported the creation of the Ultimate Car Seat Guide—an interactive, step-by-step resource to help families choose the right seat and learn correct installation techniques at every stage of a child’s growth.
Safety Designed into Every Vehicle
Education and advocacy are only part of the solution. Equally important is designing vehicles with family-centered safety features. GM engineers work daily to develop innovations that not only protect passengers during collisions but also prevent crashes from occurring in the first place.
Some of the advanced technologies now available across Chevrolet’s lineup include:
- Reverse Automatic Braking with Rear Vision Camera and Rear Cross Traffic Alert, helping to reduce accidents while backing up.
- Automatic Emergency Braking with Forward Collision Alert, designed to prevent or mitigate front-end collisions.
- Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert, providing extra confidence during highway driving.
- Front Pedestrian Braking and IntelliBeam auto high beams, enhancing safety for those outside the vehicle.
The 2025 Chevrolet Traverse, a popular choice for families, now includes over 20 standard safety and driver-assistance features, illustrating how innovation and practicality meet in everyday driving.
A Longstanding Legacy of Safety
GM’s contributions to child passenger safety go back decades. In 1967, the company introduced the GM Child Love Seat, the first of its kind in the auto industry. This pioneering effort paved the way for the regulated, standardized child restraint systems that later became mandatory, alongside the widespread adoption of seat belt laws in the 1970s.
More recently, GM was the first automaker to introduce Rear Seat Reminder technology, designed to prompt drivers to check the back seat after parking if a rear door had been opened earlier in the trip. While simple in design, this innovation helps prevent tragic accidents involving children left in vehicles. By 2019, other automakers had adopted similar features across their fleets, underscoring the value of GM’s leadership in this area.
A Shared Responsibility
As a parent, I know the weight of responsibility that comes with every trip—whether it’s a short drive to school or a long family road trip. At GM and Chevrolet, our teams embrace that same sense of responsibility in designing vehicles, creating safety programs, and supporting organizations like Safe Kids Worldwide.
For families, resources such as car seat check events and the Ultimate Car Seat Guide are invaluable. They not only help ensure children are properly secured but also give parents and caregivers peace of mind.
Safety is not just about features inside the car; it’s about confidence for every family who chooses to drive one of our vehicles. Together—with parents, caregivers, engineers, and community partners—we can take meaningful steps toward a world with fewer crashes and safer journeys for every child.
