OT: Article about Car Seats

[tjmw2727]

Hey - at least she is using a CRS - ok just kidding and venting.

Yesterday I saw a BEAUTIFUL new infinity - black maxed out and just georgous so I had to look. So i see the "parents' or m/f in the front seat in seatbelts with a 1-2 yo standing in the backseat with his hands on the front seats between the front buckets! Yes standing folks - I wasn't even allowed to do that as a kid ~

Honsetly since we moved to Delaware I have seen kids in carseats without buckles, kids in frontseats with carseats and kids in backseats no seatbelt but this took the cake.

My 11yo is tiny and its going to be in the backseat until she drives, my 8yo is still under the weight limit so she is in a booster. I cringe when I pickup at school everyday ...but the toddler standing in between the parents buckets took my breath away.

Sorry for the hijack and thanks for the link, I will send itto my sil with a tiny 18month old who is still RF and my sil gets major greif. I know she dosen't give in to the pressure but it may make her feel better to read the article.

TX
TJ

 

[solferino]

I know, you'd think if you're gonna spend $250 on a seat you'd know how to use it, or at least find out how. But then again, her MIL bought it for her so I guess she doesn't care. The best part is how loose she keeps the straps. I can't even begin to describe how loose they are, other than to say that she might as well not even use the seat but just throw him in the backseat. I asked her what she tethered the seat too (since I saw it was untethered and was trying to be unconfrontational) and she said "is that what that thing is for? One day you'll have to show me how to use this thing." He was 7 months old by that point. I volunteered to do it then but she was 'too busy'. Of course. Guess it doesn't beat the Graco Snugride I saw installed forward facing when I was at Gymboree though!

If your local police or fire dept has a carseat safety tech on staff do you think you could convince your friend to go and have both of your seats checked?

 

[lovehoney]

I'm not sure how long I will keep my DS4 in a 5-point. I think he will be out of it by High School.

When DS was 2 (and I was 8 weeks pregnant) we were in a rollover car accident. We ended upside down near the treeline on the side of the interstate. The image of seeing my 2 year old's legs and arms hanging above me will stick with me forever. That five point car seat held him snug to the (now) ceiling. Through the Grace of God and a properly installed car seat he was perfectly fine (as were my sister's 4 children).

Because of the accident, I am a super stickler about car seats. I guess you could call me the Carseat Nazi. I just go crazy when I see improperly installed seats or if I see kids not in their seats.

Don't be afraid to speak up to people. Car seats really do save lives.


PS: I had my seatbelt on too. I did end up with a broken back, but even after tons of morphine and other meds, I gave birth to my beautiful healthy DS(1) seven months later.

 

[TinkerbellMama]

Thanks to the OP for posting this article! I am always AMAZED that more people have not heard of the dangers of forward-facing toddlers in carseats! I read an article that detailed the "reasons" why they set the 1-year, 20 pounds cutoff. Wanna know why? Because at that age and weight, they are less likely to die. They are NOT less likely to be horribly injured, paralyzed for life, etc. Just less likely to actually perish in the crash itself. Frankly, it disgusts me that the safety research shows how dangerous it is to forward-face at that age/weight, and yet that is the guideline. My son will rear-face until he is 33 lbs., the rear-facing limit of our carseat, or until he becomes too tall to safely rear-face. If his legs touch the back of the seat, or have to be crossed, so what??? Better a broken leg than a snapped spine! Also, I have never, ever heard of any kids who had their legs broken while rear-facing. The way your legs would move on impact would tend to avoid that outcome. I strongly urge people who have already turned their toddlers forward-facing to consider turning them back around TODAY, even if they don't like it much. You never know...that next ride to the grocery store, some idiot could run a light and cause an accident. You could be forever glad you had turned your child back, or forever sorry that you didn't.

 

[Beca]

My dd was almost 2 before she hit 20 lbs....so, she stayed backwards. I was so scared to turn her around. I still wish there was a "backwards" option for her age (almost 4), especially for long road trips....I HATE it that her head falls down when she goes to sleep. On our last road trip, she woke up complaining that her neck hurt....poor thing, I bet it did!!

We bought her the "Grow with Me" carseat right after Fisher Price stopped making them (paid a fortune on ebay). It will fit her until 8 years or 80 lbs. You can bet she will be in that car seat as long as I can get that seatbelt around her.



Beca