Safer Child Products

I posted a video on my Safer Child Products FB page the other day that really upset me.  It showed wonderful family bonding, but at least 2 out of the 3 children appeared to be improperly restrained.  The child sitting in the front seat couldn't have been more that 8y/o.  The front passenger's seat is not a safe place for young children to sit, especially if there is an active airbag.  Until you are at least age 13 you should ride in the rear seat if at all possible.

Then a friend asked me if I could give a ride to her small 1st grade daughter.  She is about 7 y/o and about 50 pounds.  When I asked if she rides in a booster, the mom said no.  After careful consideration, I realized that I was not comfortable with this.  My 8 y/o who is taller and slim but probably close to 50 pounds rides in a backless booster.  I told the Mom that in my car I would be more comfortable if her child would ride in a booster.  I explained that a Belt Positioning Booster Seat(BPB) raises the child up to a position where the Vehicle Seat Belt will fit them properly. Ideally, a child should be in a belt positioning booster seat from the time they outgrow their forward facing seat with harness (usually between ages 3-5) until they reach 4'9" tall.

The child should be able to pass The Safety Belt Fit Test.  Did I just say 4’9”?  Yes I did.  Did I forget to mention the age limit?  No, I chose not to, because it is not about their age, it is about how the adult seat belt fits them.  Whether in a BPB or not, the seat belt needs to cross between the shoulder and the neck and the lap belt needs to sit across the hard hip bones or upper thighs,  NOT on the soft tummy.  If a seat belt does not fit properly, a child is likely to sustain life-threatening injuries in a crash.  The shoulder belt will not hold them back into the seat, and the lap belt can cause a number of injuries to the internal organs.

For more information on Booster Seat Safety and on the Safety Belt Fit Test go to http://www.safekids.org/safety-basics/big-kids/on-the-way/booster-seat-and-seat-belts.html

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Some days I feel like I live in my car.  Between running to the gym, to school, to shop, after school activities, appointments, etc.  We are always busy.  I always keep pencils in my car incase one of the kids needs to start HW in the car, or I need to make myself a note. However, one of my pet peeves is that my purse (and whatever else is on the passenger’s seat) inevitably end up on the floor.  No matter how carefully I try to drive, there are windy roads and short stops that send things flying. I need to be sure to keep my purse zipped, but this is small potatoes.

I worry about all the other stuff that is thrown into the car. When my daughter was little, she had a soft car toy, or so I thought.  It was great because it had a steering wheel, a mirror, and a shifter and horn.  However, I did not realize that the bottom was hard.  Fortunately, no one was hurt and we learned that it was still better to remove it from the car and stick to completely soft toys.  I have even noticed when I am driving alone that our booster seats slide.  I know I’ve been advised to keep them buckled so that they don’t become a projectile.  What projectiles do you have in your car?  When you go grocery shopping, do you put things on the seat next to the kids?  When you go to the library, where do you put the books?  I am lucky if I remember to bring a bag with me. 

If you keep in mind that the stuff in our cars will keep moving even after you have breaked, you will want to be sure that anything that is loose or on the seat is soft and will not hurt anyone if it goes flying.  Take the weight of the item and multiply it by the speed at which you are travelling, and that is the force at which the object will hit something. Be sure to secure packages in the trunk, or at least on the floor wells in the car.  Keep things in the front when you can, since they will not travel backwards and hit the kids that way.  It is simple enough, but not something to be taken lightly.

See the following article to see what happened to this little boy from a soft spouted sippy cup.

http://thestir.cafemom.com/baby/120581/Almost_Deadly_Sippy_Cup_Incident

Safer Child Products

Do you ever wonder where the safest spot in the car is for your child? You need to take into consideration their age, the type of Child Restraint, how many people typically ride in your car and the recommendations of both the Vehicle Owner’s Manual, and the Child Restraint Manual. Then see what configuration works best in your car.

What really concerns me is that I have seen so many children under the age of 8 riding in the front seat of a vehicle, without even benefit of a booster seat! 

On the visor of the passenger side of my car there is a warning:  “Children can be killed or seriously injured by the air bag. The back seat is the safest place for children.”

The vehicle owner’s manual says “Children 12 years old and under should always be properly restrained in the second or third row seats.”

I understand if you have a large family, or are transporting many children, you need to figure out the best seating position for all of them.  If you have no other choice than to use the front seat, see if you can switch off the passenger side airbag and move the seat back as far as possible.  However, NEVER put a rear facing child restraint in front of an active air bag!  So, why do so many parents act carefree and let their young children ride in the front seat?

Most children of this age should be in car seats or booster seats. Most children this age are not tall enough to use a lap/shoulder belt without a booster seat.  As stated in www.safekids.org, “For children ages 5-9 who are under 4 feet 9 inches tall and less than 80 to 100 pounds, a car seat or booster seat is recommended.”

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Belt Positioning Booster Seats (BPB) are probably the most Misunderstood and Least Used of all Child Restraints.  We are working with our local legislators to help improve Booster Seat Laws.  We would love to see all states adopt the same laws when it comes to Child Passenger Safety, but so far, that is not the case.  Some States require children to use a BPB only until age 6 or 60 pounds, whereas others require it until age 8 or 80 pounds. We are basing our recommendations on the American Academy of Pediatrics’ advice. To ensure proper fit of the vehicle seat belt, the AAP now states that children should use the BPB up to age 8, but ALSO until they reach 4’9” tall. They advise that children under age 13 should sit in the rear vehicle seat whenever possible.  Did you know that law enforcement can fine you for not using a car seat or booster seat for your child?  In many cases, they are allowed to stop your car solely to check if you are using an appropriate child restraint. Don’t forget that even when your child outgrows his/her booster seat, they are required by law to use a seatbelt.  Set a good example and buckle up every time you ride! Here is a link to a chart to help you figure out what the child restraint laws are in your state http://www.elitecarseats.com/custserv/custserv.jsp?pageName=car_seat_laws .  However, keep in mind that the AAP recommendations are for best practice on how to keep children safer in cars.

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Should Delaware’s Child Restraint Laws be updated?  You’ve read our November 15^th blog about the laws in our surrounding states.  We are thinking of working with our local legislators when they are back in session in January.  We want to increase awareness that children up to 4’9” are safer when not using a seat belt alone. Tell us what you think.

Safer Child Products

Do you know what the child restraint laws are in your state?  Every state has slightly different laws and the laws do not necessarily reflect "best practice".

In the state of Delaware, children are required to be in a child car seat or booster seat up to age 8 or 65 lbs, whichever comes first, whereas in our neighboring state of Maryland the law says All children under age 8 or 4'9"  must be in a "child restraint" unless they are 65lbs or more. 

New Jersey Law requires "Children under 8 years of age who weigh less than 80 pounds to ride properly secured in a child safety seat or booster seat in the rear seat of the vehicle."

What these laws don't tell you is that the vehicle seat belt may not properly fit until a child is 4'9".  Even so, most belt positioning booster seats are rated to 80 or 100 pounds.  A belt positioning booster seat must only be used with the Lap/Shoulder belt combination, never with a lap belt alone.

The back seat is the safest place to sit, until at least age 13, because a child's body is not strong enough to withstand the impact of an airbag in a crash.  If you have no other option but the front seat be sure to turn off the passenger airbag. 

 http://www.safekids.org/safety-basics/big-kids/on-the-way/booster-seat-and-seat-belts.html