Reminder to make sure those toddler seats are secure in your vehicles, (sad story)

[Dan Murphy]

A news story from Chicago today, and I know all too often, everywhere. And no reason for an ejection, short of the vehicle being destroyed.

Boy thrown from minivan, killed

A 3-year-old Addison boy died Saturday in a rollover accident on the Eisenhower Expy. near Broadview. Christian Alonso was killed when he was ejected from the eastbound minivan driven by his mother, Juana Alonso. She told police she swerved to avoid another vehicle and lost control, hitting a concrete divider near 25th Avenue. Police are investigating if another vehicle was involved. Juana Alonso, 29, her daughter Juana, 10, and son Jaime, 8, were hospitalized with broken bones and other injuries. Christian was in a child safety seat, but it may not have been fastened correctly, police said.

 

[binny]

that is so sad.

Our local police station is glad to check the seats if we just pull up. They will send an officer right out to check it for you. ( or so Ive heard)


The thing is too to keep checking them because they can loosen over time.

So sad for that family. Poor baby

 

[joshsmom]

How heartbreaking for this family. Our PD will also check child seats and it is well worth the stop. Prayers for that poor family.

 

[Kimberle]

How very sad. Many prayers for the family.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

How heartbreaking. Good reminder, Dan.

You know...people need to utilize their police and fire departments for PREVENTION, and not just in an emergency. Police (in our town) will check your car seats, bicycle helmets, and also your house for safety. Fire departments will check for fire safety as well.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

The sad fact is that the majority of child restraint systems are installed incorrectly.

 

[nuke]

My father in law is a retired paramedic and now does the safety seat checks for his county. He says 90% of the people that drive in for checks have their car seats installed incorrectly or their children strapped in incorrectly. We need to be more careful with our precious cargo.

 

[mom2boys]

So sad to hear of the loss of any child.

Originally posted by nuke
My father in law is a retired paramedic and now does the safety seat checks for his county. He says 90% of the people that drive in for checks have their car seats installed incorrectly or their children strapped in incorrectly. We need to be more careful with our precious cargo.

The fact that 90% of car seats are incorrectly installed infuriates me. These seats should be idoit-proof instead of requiring a controtionist to properly install them. (My vent for the day - I feel better now.)

 

[Shannon G]

The fact that 90% of car seats are incorrectly installed infuriates me. These seats should be idoit-proof instead of requiring a controtionist to properly install them.

I know it doesn't help those with cars more than a couple of years old, but at least some progress has been made in making installation easier on new cars. All new cars are required to be equipped with the LATCH system. DH's new truck has it, and it is definitely easier to use. Instead of trying to figure out how to attached the seatbelt to the car seat, and trying to get it tight enough, there are adjustable straps attached to the car seat, and they have a metal latch on the other end, which clips onto a metal loop built into the seat. You still have to tighten the strap, but it's a lot easier than with a seatbelt (especially if you have to attached one of those little clips because your seatbelt doesn't lock). My parents babysat over the weekend, and when we were picking DD up from them, my Dad (whose car also has LATCH) had a hard time getting the seat out, it was in so securely with the LATCH system.

 

[nativetxn]

Bless his heart. But they aren't sure it wasn't fastened in correctly, right?

How very sad