Car seat safety

[Ziva]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcqaQ

A friend sent me that link, it's heartbreaking.

Do you use a booster seat with your children over 40 lbs? Which one do you use? We have a regular booster that uses the adult belt but I'm rethinking that after watching this video.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Very heartbreaking...

We were actually told when we purchased our boosters--to retract the harness....so the kids can't slip out of them at all.

Sadly--she says the seatbelt came undone--that could happen with an adult as well.

And what do people without tether anchors, do?

We have a 2005 minivan--it has the lower anchors, but no place to attach the tethers on the top.

 

[kerrynic78]

I am sitting here crying my eyes out. We do not have kids yet (due in 2 months) but I will definitely keep this information in mind when my child is older. Thanks for the link.

 

[kimmikayb]

What a sad video. We use booster seats. I've never felt 100% about them.

Time to make a change.

 

[palmtreegirl]

That was so sad. We use a booster with our DS(6) but it uses the regular lap belt and it's just a base with no back. I think I'll go look at new ones today. My heart just breaks for that family, so tragic.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

palmtree girl..I think all boosters are supposed to use the harness.

 

[piglet too]

Wow! Here I have been looking for a regular booster seat as my DD gets close to 40lbs. Not any more.

 

[palmtreegirl]

palmtree girl..I think all boosters are supposed to use the harness.

What kind are they talking about in that video? I'm a little confused. Is it that it's anchored by the belt and then there's an additional anchor and 5 point harness?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

What kind are they talking about in that video? I'm a little confused. Is it that it's anchored by the belt and then there's an additional anchor and 5 point harness?

I meant shoulder harness...like what we use as older kids and adults.

I read your post to mean you just used the lap belt (i.e. not the shoulder harness). If I misinterpreted your post, I am sorry.

 

[palmtreegirl]

I meant shoulder harness...like what we use as older kids and adults.

I read your post to mean you just used the lap belt (i.e. not the shoulder harness). If I misinterpreted your post, I am sorry.

Oh that's OK, no need to say sorry.

That's similiar to the one we use, you use the whole seat belt(shoulder/lap) with it but there's no back part to the seat. But now I'm wondering if it's enough. Any car experts out there? What do you think?

 

[cepmom]

palmtreegirl ~ that's the seat I use for my DD6. Dh's friend is a police officer and he is in charge of installing car seats for his police department. I asked him about this backless booster and he said it was fine for DD as long as our car has head rests that can be adjusted to her height. If there were no adjustable head rests, then he suggested a high back booster for her.

That video was truly heartbreaking...I have to admit, I am rethinkng the booster seat now too
but then I think about DD9 or DD16 or me or DH....if the seatbelt can come undone upon impact, then we are all at risk. So scary

 

[RadioNate]

Heartbreaking yet...somewhat misleading...yes.

I understand they are talking about useing a Regent with LATCH rather than installing it using a seatbelt but most LATCH anchors aren't rated much past 40lbs.

The problem wasnt' the booster. The problem was a faulty seatbelt. I'm curious to know what Minivan they were driving. Chrystler/Dodge Gen3 seatbelts have been known to fail when used with Child Restraints. That is one reason I won't buy another Chrysler vehicle.

Based on my knowledge as a former Child Passenger Safety Tech (the same course that firefighters and police take) there was some inaccurate info in the video. I'd suggest everyone concerned talk with a certified CPS tech in their state about the best restraint for their child.

You can look up your local tech at

http://www.carseatdata.org/index.php

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I'm not an expert (just a big rule follower ). I'd have to check the seats in our car--but know that the youngest isn't big enough for a backless booster. The older one is, but I like the back on there. She wants to go backless, but I don't want her too. Mostly b/c I can't figure out how to use that little clippy thing for the shoulder strap.
I *think* that for a backed booster--it may be 30 pounds and for backless it is 40 pounds...but don't hold me to that. I'd have to check the labels.

As long as you are following the standards..it is "okay" but I don't know if it is the best or not. 5-point better than booster w/back..booster w/back safer than backless..which is safer than just the seat...

But at what point you upgrade? I don't know what is safest..but at any point--there will be data that a child has died despite the belief they should be alive. It is all about whether the seat is properly installed, if the child is properly buckled, how the accident took place, if the vehicle rolled--the number of times it rolled.

I had heard a statistc that up to 70% or so (could be higher) of parents do not have their car seats installed correctly. I shudder whenever I watch "welcome home baby"--I have seen so many improperly stalled car seats..and they never show if they fixed it or not--just show the family driving off. Makes me wish they had a car seat expert on staff to help the parents instead of video taping the newborn in a very risky situation if the parents got into an accident on the way home.

Neither of my kids were upgraded to the next seat until well after they were big enough. Both are upgraded now. The only extra thing we do is to pull the harness out all the way and retract it after it is fastened so that it is locked. We were told by a safety specialist to do this, but noone else we know does this and I cannot find a reference in print anywhere.

 

[Jenn Lynn]

I have the Britax Parkway Booster for DD. I will buy the same (or the newer one if that comes out) when DS needs it.

 

[laurie31]

The problem wasn't the booster. The problem was a faulty seatbelt.

Yes, totally heartbreaking - but did you read the comment from someone who said their 15 year old brother was killed in a wreck because of a faulty seatbelt? Just like anything else man-made, seat belts can malfunction

But yes, absolutely keep your child in the safest seat possible for their weight for as long as you can. The worst thing you can do (other than nothing) is a lap belt only. Even in crashes as slow as 25mph, a lap belt used without a shoulder belt can sever the spinal cord

 

[palmtreegirl]

I have the Britax Parkway Booster for DD. I will buy the same (or the newer one if that comes out) when DS needs it.

I just bought this one for my DS this afternoon, found it at Sears for 94.00-ouch! But it's money well spent and DS loves it, he said it's really comfy.

 

[BelleBoo&AmisMum]

Heartbreaking yet...somewhat misleading...yes.

I understand they are talking about useing a Regent with LATCH rather than installing it using a seatbelt but most LATCH anchors aren't rated much past 40lbs.

They didn't say they were using the Regent with LATCH, it said whether you're using with with LATCH or the seat belt to use the tether anchor as a back up. The whole point of it was to remind those parents that can to use the tether when available.

 

[ZachnElli]

The video said something about an upper tether. I have a 2006 mini van (Toyota Sienna) and a 2005 Britax carseat for my 19 month old and neither have the upper tethers, no anchor and no tether. Never heard of such a thing. Anyone else?

 

[BelleBoo&AmisMum]

The video said something about an upper tether. I have a 2006 mini van (Toyota Sienna) and a 2005 Britax carseat for my 19 month old and neither have the upper tethers, no anchor and no tether. Never heard of such a thing. Anyone else?

According to Toyota you should have four anchor spots for the tether. On my Windstar these are down low and built-in to the frame of the seat, you should check the owners manual for the location in your van. If you can't find them Britax also provides a strap anchor that you tie around a solid piece in the car, check the Britax manual for more info on that one. Your Britax seat should have a long strap attached to the back of the seat at the top with a closed hook style metal piece. Photo of tether strap anchored in car.

 

[Jenn Lynn]

The video said something about an upper tether. I have a 2006 mini van (Toyota Sienna) and a 2005 Britax carseat for my 19 month old and neither have the upper tethers, no anchor and no tether. Never heard of such a thing. Anyone else?

Do you have a booster? What Britax carseat do you have? I bought DS a Marathon last year and it has the tether strap as did DD's Roundabout that we bought in 2002. You definitely should have the tethers and the anchors. If you don't I would take both things back!