Nissan's Snug Kids™ Celebrates A Decade Of Helping Secure The Safety Of Children

FRANKLIN, Tenn., Sept. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Nissan kicks off Child Passenger Safety Week by celebrating the 10^th anniversary of its Snug Kids™ program, the automotive industry's first child safety seat fit initiative. Since 2002, Nissan has provided parents and caregivers with peace of mind by offering valuable tools and resources to help determine which child safety seats fit properly in Nissan and Infiniti vehicles, as well as tips on how to achieve a secure fit when installing a rear or forward-facing child seat or booster.

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"Ten years ago Nissan made child passenger safety a priority and pioneered the Snug Kids™ program to help parents ensure the safety of their most precious cargo," said Bob Yakushi, director of product safety, Nissan North America. "We are proud to be the only automaker who offers a comprehensive seat fit guide for all of our products with a back seat."

To celebrate its decade-long commitment to safety and to help arm Nashville-area residents with the tools needed to install child-restraint systems properly, the automakers will have certified technicians onsite at its Franklin headquarters to inspect child car seats and offer step-by-step instruction on proper installation. This event is open to the public. Parents or caregivers wanting to have their seats checked should visit Nissan at 1 Nissan Way, Franklin, Tenn., between 1-3 p.m. Oct. 5.

Knowing how to properly secure a child in a correct-fitting child safety seat is one of the most important things that parents can do to help protect their children in a vehicle. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), automobile accidents are the leading cause of death for children ages 1–12. However, the use of a child-restraint system has been shown to reduce fatalities by 71 percent in infants and 54 percent in toddlers, which makes finding the right child-restraint system a vital part of protecting child passengers.

Also during the first week of October, Nissan will host a Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) course at its training center in Cool Springs, Tenn., for area first responders. During the four-day course, firefighters and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) will learn about crash dynamics, injury prevention strategies, and child-restraint selection and installation. Participants who complete the training will receive national certification and will be able to offer seat-check days to residents in their own communities.

During the past 10 years, Nissan's safety engineers have dedicated thousands of hours to evaluating hundreds of child-restraint systems by installing them in the rear seats of Nissan and Infiniti products. The results are published in a comprehensive child safety seat fit guide for parents and caregivers. Nissan's process for evaluating the compatibility of child-restraints in vehicles has been recognized as an industry leader and in 2011, the automaker announced its planned participation in the Vehicle-CRS Fit Program, a future initiative proposed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Much like Snug Kids™, NHTSA's program would be aimed at helping consumers choose child-restraint systems that properly fit their vehicles and would encourage other vehicle manufacturers to voluntarily assess and recommend at least three current child-restraint models in each category (rear-facing, front-facing and booster) for use in current vehicle models. The agency would then publish the listings at www.safercar.gov.

More information about Snug Kids™, upcoming events, or a download of the Child Safety Seat Fit Guide, can be found online at http://www.nissanusa.com/snugkids.

About Nissan North America

In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized as an ENERGY STAR^® Partner of the Year in 2010, 2011, and 2012 by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.InfinitiUSA.com.

About Nissan

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second largest Japanese automotive company by volume, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan and is an integral pillar of the Renault-Nissan Alliance.  Operating with more than 248,000 employees globally, Nissan provided customers with more than 4.6 million vehicles in 2011.  With a strong commitment to developing exciting and innovative products for all, Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of fuel-efficient and low-emissions vehicles under the Nissan and Infiniti brands.  A pioneer in zero emission mobility, Nissan made history with the introduction of the Nissan LEAF, the first affordable, mass-market, pure-electric vehicle and winner of numerous international accolades including the prestigious 2011 European Car of the Year award.

For more information on our products, services and commitment to Sustainable Mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/.

SOURCE Nissan North America