Presenter Profile
Joseph M Colella, CPST-I
Baby Safety Alliance
jcolella@babysafetyalliance.org
301-466-8140
Joe Colella is the Director of Child Passenger Safety for the Baby Safety Alliance, where he leads the organization’s educational, regulatory, legislative and partnership efforts in the child occupant protection space. A certified Child Passenger Safety Technician Instructor (CPSTI) with over three decades of experience, Joe is a nationally respected advocate, instructor and expert in child passenger safety.
At the Baby Safety Alliance, Joe guides member manufacturers and stakeholders through evolving standards and evidence-based improvements, and played a key role in adding car seats to the organization’s Verification Program in the U.S. and Canada. He regularly collaborates with NHTSA, AAP, Safe Kids Worldwide, Safe States Alliance and other national safety organizations, and serves on the Society of Automotive Engineers Children’s Restraint Systems Committee.
Joe has taught in 48 states and five countries, developed CPS training curricula, and chaired the National Child Passenger Safety Board. He continues to shape the field through his leadership at the Lifesavers Conference and editorial contributions to Safe Ride News Publications. His impact has been recognized through multiple honors, including induction into the Child Passenger Safety Hall of Fame.
Presentations
Is It Legit: Counterfeit, Noncompliant and Unregulated Child Restraint Devices
Joseph M Colella, CPSTI
An increasing frequency of child restraint devices purchased through e-commerce do not comply with current Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), so they cannot be legally used to meet state legislative requirements and may be unsafe. Other devices are counterfeit, meaning they use stolen intellectual property, may be misrepresented as the original item, and may also be unsafe. Still others may be completely unregulated, so they do not fulfill minimum safety performance standards to assure safety. Attendees will have an increased ability to identify compliant, noncompliant, counterfeit and unregulated devices in the field, the ability to differentiate between categories of questionable products, and familiarity with appropriate reporting processes and field education.
1. Ability to differentiate between compliant, noncompliant, counterfeit and unregulated devices
2. Potential to identify questionable devices in the field
3. Familiarity with reporting processes and field education