Certified Child Restraint Technicians on the rise at phil&teds®

phil&teds® chief cook & bottle washer, Campbell Gower, knows this all too well having sold car seats for over 20 years, which is why he has always invested in having certified trainers within the team. This year alone six of his team were trained, tested, got certified & are now listed in the NZTA government website – after his brand's successful launch of the first R129 “i-Size" car seats in New Zealand.

from left: Huayu, Sofia, Kelly, Nicola, Marty, Casey

In New Zealand, in April and May this year, Horizons Regional Council ran 3 road safety operations targeting Pahiatua, Woodville and Dannevirke. Here alone, 74% of car seats checked were not correctly installed, "Sadly, this kind of statistic shows up in every survey - safe seats incorrectly installed." says Campbell, “We need to do better with educating and getting parents better prepared for those car seat journeys. Having more trained professionals in NZ allows more access for parents – not only to have the car seats installed correctly, but also take the opportunity to be educated themselves. This would boost confidence immensely in a category that is usually a scary experience for parents to dive into – and it needn't be.”

Becoming a Certified Child Restraint Technician is no easy feat, & one that is worn with pride. phil&teds® head sales head Marty Evans explains, “Personally I felt I had a pretty good level of understanding on how car seats work, how to fit them and the pros and cons in different makes / models (being a parent myself!), but I've always wanted to know more, especially about the types of products we aren't hands on with every day.

Part of that was working through the theory and practical testing required to be a Certified CRT. It's a very in-depth course that covers all aspects of how to keep our kids safe in vehicles. Our trainer / assessor had a wealth of knowledge, real world examples on what to do and what not to do, and excellent impartial advice which you don't get by simply reading guides or user manuals.”

& now that the company has this many CRT's under its wing, what's next?

“As a team, we can now provide a service to our local community; & we've already been fielding a few requests!” says Marty, adding on a more serious note, “A Certified Child Restraint Technician should offer an unbiased experience to parents, and just offer advice where needed on the products they have just researched to purchase. Our team here don't care what brand car seat you have – we just want to be a part of the Nationwide team who are trained and can help bring that high statistic down so more kids are safe on the road. Of course, if you need advice on what to look for in a car seat, we'll offer it, but all car seats purchased from a good reputable retailer or brand has already passed all expected standards and certifications required; we don't play on scare tactics here.”

Investing in the safety & future of young children is paramount to phil&teds®. If you are in New Zealand and require some support with fitting your car seat into your car, find a Child Restraint Technician that's close to you - Find a child restraint technician | Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (nzta.govt.nz)