2018 Technician of the Year
The National Child Passenger Safety Board is pleased to announce the 2018 Technician of the Year is Michael “Chris” Morris from Knightsdale, NC. Morris serves as a child passenger safety technician for the University of North Carolina/REX Healthcare system. After serving in the U.S. Army from 1970-1974, he joined the Raleigh Police Department in 1974. Four years in municipal law enforcement led to a transition to North Carolina’s State Highway Patrol in 1978. Morris served as a Trooper until retiring in 2003. In 1985, he became one of the first child passenger safety instructors in the nation, a program that resulted from the Safe Roads Act of 1985. His 33 years of work and experience in the CPS field predates the national standardized curriculum developed by NHTSA. “I have worked in areas where child passenger safety laws were not respected,“ Morris said. “After I left those areas, people began to respect the importance of child safety and use of car seats.” His passion for child passenger safety led him to establish a Child Passenger Safety program at UNC/REX Healthcare in 2003. Innovative programs such as “I Love U, Baby”─ an annual car seat check and educational event held on Valentine’s Day ─ contribute to community education for parents and caregivers. “I have always made myself available to parents and spent as much time as needed,” Morris said. “I want to make them feel confident that they have the knowledge to ensure their child will ride as safely as possible.”
Additional details about Chris and his dedication to child passenger safety can be found in the Technician of the Year press release.