In the past I have been skeptical about car seats and the mandated use of them. I didn't understand why children past the age of 3 or 4 should be in a car seat. A booster seat, maybe, but the harnesses can be so time consuming and difficult to adjust, close and open and when you have several children to get in and out, especially when it's very cold, well let's just say I've become easily irritated with the whole car seat thing.
Well, with the birth of my last baby I've become much more informed after reading a lot about car seat safety. The following information was compiled by a certified car seat tech, and very trustworthy online friend. If you have children or grandchildren, this is great safety information. If you don't believe proper car seats, or car seat usage to be important, watch some of the videos in the following links, you might change your mind!
Extended rear facing:
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/StayRearFacing.aspx
This explains very well why rear facing is best. It includes photos, crash test videos, and an album of older kids rear facing.
Study done in December 2007 at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. Abstract: http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/13/6/398
Findings:
- Children 0–23 months were less likely to be severely injured when using a rear-facing car seat (RFCS) than a front-facing car seat (FFCS).
- The benefit of an RFCS was particularly great in side crashes.
- Children 12 months to 23 months old are five times less likely to die or suffer serious injuries in a crash when riding in rear-facing car seats than those in forward-facing seats.
http://www.car-safety.org/rearface.html
This one again says why rear facing is safer, with more explanations. It''s a little outdated, but it''s still a good page.
http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboar...44503&page
This one shows the bones of a one year old and a six year old. Because the one year old’'s bones are still in three pieces the cartilage allows a lot more movement. Combine that with the disproportionately large head a baby has and internal decapitation is a real risk. It's like putting a twizzler through a phone cord. If you pull the kinked phone cord straight while holding the ends of the twizzler in the middle of the cord the twizzler will snap but the phone cord will be fine. Just like a baby. Their head will be attached and their spinal column snapped, resulting at best in permanent paralysis, at worst in death.
http://www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.htm
A good general description of when to move kids and what seats are and what to buy when. It's important to remember that every step up in carseats is a step down in safety. Rear facing is safest, then forward facing in a five point harness, then forward facing in a high back booster, then forward facing in a low back booster, then the least safe is us, those using just a seatbelt.
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20020801/practice.html
Another general guide of what seats are good when.
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articl...66/ai_90137870
Another very similar page.
http://aappolicy.aappublications.org...rics;109/3/550
The actual AAP publication.
http://www.angelfire.com/wa3/isakswings/ratetherrf.html
This shows how to tether a Britax (could also be transcribed for a Radian) rear facing. NOTE: Australian style tethering is no longer allowed, and tethering to the seat the carseat is on is a last resort measure.
http://cpsafety.com/PDFfiles/RearFacingBrochure.pdf
Something to print out to hand out to people who need a shove in the rear direction.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2DVfqFhseo
The Importance of Rear Facing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRP7ynNI8mI
A video someone made for their sister explaining why rear facing is so important.
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/airplaneRF.aspx
Rear facing on an airplane. YOU ARE ALLOWED TO USE A REAR FACING RESTRAINT ON A PLANE JUST AS YOU WOULD IN A CAR. If an attendant gives you grief, as to see their manual. The manual will prove you right.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9916868
A mainstream article about extended rear facing.
http://www.motionbox.com/video/player/7494d2b5161bf0/#1
A news video from WABI out of Maine about extended rear facing. It's not just extended harnessing, as the reporter says, it's extended rear facing. The seat is technically a 3 in 1, not a convertible (the Alpha Omega or the Eddie Bauer 3 in 1, they're all the same seat under different names). Caroline is sitting in a Radian and she is demonstrating extended harnessing.
Boosters:
http://www.carseat.org/Boosters/630.htm
Boosters are for big kids. This page has the five step test, which is how you know when your child is big enough for just a seatbelt.
http://www.gm.com/company/gmability/...er_020304.html
This shows pictures and a video of children who are too small being restrained in only an adult belt. There are also other videos about child restraint safety and child safety on the site.
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/mi...E=Sep+13,+2005
This article discusses the importance of a booster seat for the four to eight year old range when it comes to side impact protection.
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd.../05-0330-O.pdf
This discusses vehicular restraint and injuries for children 0-15 in Sweden. They have the lowest mortality in the world of children in regards to vehicular collisions.
http://new.photos.yahoo.com/album?c=...15&.src=ph
Comparing the old and new (B500/505 and B510/515) Compass boosters.
Videos:
http://home.comcast.net/~dcbsr/test/..._old_seat.mpeg
This video shows a properly installed, proper size dummy in a 30 mph frontal collision with a 10 year old Britax (they expire at six years). The harness is ripped from the seat.
http://www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/ca...ts/archive.htm
A listing of UK videos showing the importance of wearing your seatbelt, AND making sure everyone else in your vehicle is wearing there (anything not restrained is a projectile. Toys, books, cups, and other people)
http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_s...ecarostart.mpg
Forward facing harness versus a forward facing booster. 30 mph crash test.
http://depts.washington.edu/booster/...54_6yr_lap.mpg
A six year old wearing only the lap portion of a shoulder/lap belt.
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/inju...les/video.html
A listing of some of the NHTSA''s crash test videos. They each have descriptions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcqaQ
The Kyle Miller video, a three year old who was killed while riding in his Turbobooster when the seatbelt failed. The video makes the claim that a Regent is the only safe seat and that it can be used to 80 pounds with LATCH, which is not true. The seat can be used to 48 pounds max, and that's only if your vehicle allows to 48 pounds. Honda, Mercedes, Acura, and Saab have 40 pound LATCH limits. GET TISSUES
http://www.carseatsite.com/videos.ht...20with%20LATCH
Videos showing how to install rear facing seats.
http://www.oeamtc.at/videobox/index....movie_kind=swf
Crash test video, forward facing booster versus rear facing seat. It also has rear facing side impact testing. There are other videos on the site, but unless you speak German you'll just have to click here and there and see what comes up.
http://64.233.179.104/translate_c?hl...ial%26hs%3DgLd
A translated (online, so it's patchy) page of the site above with the videos. It's still a little hard to navigate, but it gives more information.
Airplanes:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=rC4Q3ofz7SI
A video on the Sioux City crash, July 19, 1989, United flight 232 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Airlines_flight_232)
CPST Tools:
http://www.iihs.org/news/1997/iihs_news_062797.pdf
An article about why children should ride in the back seat, even if there is no front seat airbag.
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/pr.../childseat.cfm
The recall list.
http://www.saferidenews.com/pdfs/LATCHApp_B_pg105.pdf
Quick guide to LATCH limits of different manufacturers
http://www.saferidenews.com/html/LATCH_P8.htm
Using a tether for a child past 40 pounds.
http://www.saferidenews.com/html/LATCH_P49.htm
Different pages in the same manual covering tethering past 40 pounds.
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=9443
A list (put together by people on car-seat.org, so not conclusive) of cars that do and do not allow middle seat LATCH use. When in doubt ask or check your manual. I do have a LATCH manual and so can say whether your specific year does or does not allow it.
http://www.thecarseatlady.com/vehicl..._system_9.html
A site about LATCH
http://www.buckleupnc.org/laws_cps_recommended.cfm
A North Carolina site stating the law as well as best practice (they are NOT the same)
Other Photos:
http://members.tripod.com/uccomama-ivil/
Booster comparison photos
http://www.collisionsafety.net/Allpi...pre%20test.JPG
The before picture of a rear facing infant seat in front of an airbag.
http://www.collisionsafety.net/Allpi...ost%20test.JPG
The after picture. It speaks for itself.
http://www.carseatsite.com/pinchtest.jpg
The Pinch test. If you can pinch ANY slack in your child's harness at their shoulder the harness is too loose.
More info on vehicle crashes being the #1 killer of children:
http://www.childdeathreview.org/causesMV.htm
Here is an expired seat video:
http://home.comcast.net/~dcbsr/test/Britax_GMTV_Check_It_Fits_Child_Facing_Forwards_ten_years_old_seat.mpeg
You'll note the the harness rips completely out of the shell.
Sites:
http://www.car-seat.org
http://www.carseat.org
http://www.freewebs.com/sacredjourneys/
http://www.thecarseatlady.com/
The most common mistakes Techs see are:
- Facing forward too soon
- Boosters being used too soon
- Using LATCH for center positions when LATCH is not allowed in the center for that vehicle
- Loose straps (see pinch test in list of links)
- Aftermarket accessories
- Twisted straps (vehicle seat belts, latch straps, and harness straps)
- Using the wrong belt path or not switching the LATCH straps (seats have different belt/LATCH paths for RF and FF)
- Chest clips too low
- Using seats that are outgrown
- Seat belt installs where the seat belt is NOT locked
- Not using top tethers
- Using both LATCH and seat belt
- Expired seats
- Thick coats
- Usage of seats that are recalled
- Children (12 and under) sitting in the front seat
- Not reading the carseat manual
- Not reading the vehicle manual
- Straps not in the right position (above or below shoulders)
I want to thank Maryanne for the above information and invite anyone needing more help to visit the car seat board at http://forums.delphiforums.com/Carseats/start .
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