May. 2, 2008

Aftermarket Products

One of the most important things we learned in our car seat technician class was to ALWAYS read the manual for each and every car seat!  All of them are different, and they all have different instructions by which to install and use them.  This bit of advice will really come into play when discussing today's topic - after-market products. Today I am going to discuss one of the most common mistakes that  parents often make when using a child restraint, and that is the use of after-market products. Most parents just do not realize the dangers of these products, or they think... "they wouldn't be for sale if they weren't safe."   But the truth is that almost all carseat instruction manuals expressly forbid the use of after-market products, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends against the use of any product not specifically recommended by the manufacturer of the carseat. Such products are not tested by either the carseat manufacturer nor the government. Some of these products may even claim on their packaging to meet government standards, (like FMVSS 213, ) but it should be noted that FMVSS 213 DOES NOT cover these products! FMVSS 213 only covers child restraints, and no mention of any type of after-market products is made! One fact that most parents don't know is that by using these products the child restraint manufacture has the right to 'void' the warranty' of the car seat, AND they may not be held liable if the seat fails to perform in a crash, because they parent failed to use the seat correctly...as stated per the instructions. So once again....read the manual !!! SO....  What are these 'after-market products' that I'm speaking about??? They include,but are not limited to:  (click on links for examples) - infant head inserts (those U-shaped pillows to support their heads) * (Unless this CAME with the seat - If it came with the actual seat, then it has been crash-tested for that particular seat, and should be considered safe to use.) - infant body support cushions -Shoulder Strap Covers * (Unless these CAME with the seat - If they came with the actual seat, then they have been crash-tested for that particular seat, and should be considered safe to use.) - custom made carseat covers - covers that are not specifically sold by the manufacturer of your child restraint for that specific seat - Bundle-Me's (or similar products that  are designed for winter warmth...anything that goes UNDER/behind the child is not allowed.  The covers that go around the outside of the carseat like THIS are safe - because they do not interfere with the harness system.) - plastic 'seat saver' mats that go under the seats - seat-belt positioning devices - add on cup holders - leg rests - 'play trays' - toy bars that attach to the handles or sides of infant seats ( These are fine when the carseat is not in the vehicle, but not when the carseat is being used in the vehicle.) I am going to separate these products into a couple of different categories, and discuss why they are dangerous. The first group includes products like: infant head supports, body supports, shoulder strap covers, and custom carseat covers. The reason that these products are unacceptable is because they all put extra padding between the child and child restraint.  In a crash, that padding will compress, and it could cause the child to be ejected.  Also, many of them interfere with the harness system, and do not allow the harness to be tightened adequately enough.  If your child need additional head/body support it is better to roll washcloths or receiving blankets and place them beside the child to support them. After-market covers should not be used, because they may contain more or less padding than the original cover, and so they could perform differently in a crash, OR they may not meet federal standards for being flame retardant. Carseat mats and seat savers are a no-no because they could cause the base of the carseat to slip in a crash.  Even if it seems like a tight install...It is better not to use something that could jeopardize the ability of the seat to function, (and...it is also forbidden in most instruction manuals!) If you absolutely feel that you must put something down to protect your vehicle seats, a thin, single layer of towel is acceptable. The third group includes things like trays, foot rests, cup holders and toy bars. While these products may not interfere with the function of the carseat itself, they all could act as projectiles or objects that may come into contact with a child's face in a crash.  As my instructor stated..."Imagine throwing that product as hard as you can at your child's face.  If they would be hurt from that.... don't use that product!" It all boils down to the reason that these products are SO dangerous is that they have not been crash tested with every seat, so there is no telling how your seat will perform in a crash when using one of these devices.  Essentially, your child will be a crash-test dummy! Finally, there is one after-market product that is in a class all by itself.  In my opinion it is one of the most dangerous after-market products out there.  (Which is why it is actually illegal to use in several states!)    It is called the Mighty -Tite. Basically the Mighty-Tite  is a ratcheting system that you add to your vehicle seat-belt, in order to tighten the belt. The trouble with this product is that, by design, it stretches (and stresses) the vehicle seatbelt.  (This can lead to fraying and tears, and there have even been reports of the Mighty Tight cutting through seatbelts!)  Now, seatbelts need to stretch in a collision, it helps 'ride down' the crash forces.  But, if you stretch the belt too much before-hand, all of those forces that would go through the seatbelt are going to be transferred to the carseat... and to your child. The Mighty-Tite can also give a false sense of security.  It may seem like your car-seat is properly installed, when in reality you may have made many critical errors. As a fellow carseat technician on car-seat.org stated.... " They are death traps. Take them off!  Go to a tech and have them show you how to install your seats properly if you need a hand. That's their job, don't let them just install it for you. But those are evilness in a $15 package. Your seat still isn't in properly, it's just not moving!"           Wendy Thomas - C.P.S.T. ..... and for still more info on the evils of these devices,  please look here! So to sum this all up , I will leave you with my instructor's definition of after market products.  He said that all after-market products are Child Restraint Accessories Prohibited I'll let you figure out that little acrostic/acronym.... (I'm sorry if it's a bit vulgar...but it gets the point across quite well about these dangerous products!) Please, please do not use after-market products!!!

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