Videos the Kids Watched
maxi-cosi crash-test: adult belt is not enough - YouTube | |
Monday, June 3, 2013
Videos The Kids Watched for a Class Presentation
Booster Seat Information
Booster Seats
Boost ‘em in the Back Seat
Boost 'em in the Back Seat is a six-minute video that delivers preventive messages about the importance of booster seat and rear seat use to parents.
Boost 'em in the Back Seat is a six-minute video that delivers preventive messages about the importance of booster seat and rear seat use to parents.
A bit cheesy at times but very interesting. I liked that they had a black medical man speaking.
maxi-cosi crash-test: adult belt is not enough - YouTube
The video was done with 10 and 6 year old size dummies. All of the dummies submarine out from under the belt. They don't have mature hip bones to hold the lap belt down. Their bones don't have adult's bones' strength. So you're looking at internal injuries from the belt riding up, and potentially spinal injuries from the body moving over the belt, or hip injuries from the legs impacting the front seats, etc.
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Why is Ohio requiring booster seats?
Car crashes are the leading cause of death for children age 4 to 8 in Ohio, according to AAA. Eighty-nine were killed and more than 21,000 injured in auto accidents between 2002 and 2007 in Ohio alone, the association says.Their chances of being harmed in an accident dropped by 59 percent if they were in booster seats and seat belts, according to one study. "It's absolutely the right thing to do because children in this age group are at too great of risk if they're simply wearing an adult safety belt," said AAA spokesman Brian Newbacher. Using seat belts alone isn't safe for young children. The lap belts fall against children's stomachs and can injure vital organs when small bodies are hurled forward in a crash. And children often push aside shoulder belts because they cut across their necks. (x)
Using a booster seat with a seat belt instead of using a seat belt alone for a child this age reduces the risk of injury in a crash by 59 percent. Researchers with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimate that more than half the children killed in motor vehicles in motor vehicle crashes each year would be alive today if seat belt use and child safety seat use were at 100 percent.
Why isn’t the seat belt enough?
Seatbelts are designed to fit the average adult — not children of any age. The strap cannot touch their necks and the lap belt should be across the hip bones, not the soft belly. Children need booster seats until they’re 8-12 years old, AND 4’9″ and preferably also 80-100 pounds.
Seatbelts are designed to fit the average adult — not children of any age. The strap cannot touch their necks and the lap belt should be across the hip bones, not the soft belly. Children need booster seats until they’re 8-12 years old, AND 4’9″ and preferably also 80-100 pounds.
Risk: Children who are not large enough risk many things similar to putting a child in a booster too early — damage to their internal organs, throat and windpipe and the entire body in general. (x)
Young children who are placed in vehicle belts rather than booster seats are twice as likely to suffer devastating injuries, including severe damage to the brain, liver, spleen, stomach, and spinal cord. Most children need to use a booster seat until age 10-12 for maximum protection and improved comfort in the car. (x)
A child who isn’t big enough for a booster can slide out under the belt, called “submarining”, can have the belt sit on their belly or neck and cause internal damage to the gut or the esophagus and trachea. A child who will not sit upright, with the belt over their hip bones and over their collar bone, or tries to put their arm over the belt or the shoulder belt behind their back is not mature enough to sit in a booster, and a child who constantly falls asleep in the car should also be in a harness or they can be seriously injured in a crash. There’s some debate that heavier (60-70 pound+) children may be safer in a seatbelt, but currently the recommendation is still to wait until they outgrow their harness. (x)
Kids over 40 pounds should use a belt positioning booster seat or a child safety seat with a harness that can be used to a higher weight limit. It is recommended that a child ride in a booster seat until he or she is about 8 years of age and approximately 4 feet 9 inches tall. Many children do not reach 4 feet 9 inches until they are 10 to 12 years old. When safety belts fit children correctly, after 8 years of age, both the lap and shoulder belt should be used. (x)
Just like with going into a booster, the bare minimum is not the safest practice. In more and more states, the law is that children may not go without a booster seat until they're 8 years old AND 80 pounds or 4'9". Most children don't hit 80 pounds or 4'9" until they're preteens, though, making the "8 years" limit the requirement they hit first, but not the only one that matters.
A booster seat is designed to place a child higher on the vehicle seat so that the lap/shoulder belt fits correctly. Seat belt fit varies from car to car and from person to person. It is safest for your child to remain in a booster seat until the adult seat belt system fits him/her properly as follows... (x)
Booster seats are for older children who have outgrown their forward-facing child seat. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, it is best for children to ride in a seat with a five-point harness for as long as possible, at least to 4 years of age. If your child outgrows his seat before reaching 4 years of age, consider using a seat with a harness approved for higher weights and heights.
Some factors to consider when determining if your child is ready for a booster seat may be:
.jpg) | Your child reaches the top weight or height allowed for their forward-facing seat with a harness. (These limits are listed on the seat and also included in the seat’s user guide.) |
 | Your child’s shoulders are above the top harness slots in their forward-facing seat. |
 | Your child’s ears have reached the top of their forward-facing seat. |
 | Your child meets the age and size requirements of the booster seat. |
 | Your child meets the requirements of your state laws regarding booster seat use. |
 | Your child's maturity level - if your child is a wiggle worm or sleeps frequently in the vehicle, he may not be ready for a booster seat. |
Excerpt:
Most kids need to ride in a booster seat from about age 4 (If mature and heavy enough) until age 10-12.
If your child isn’t using a booster, try the simple test below the next time you
ride together in the car. You may find that your child is not yet ready to use a
safety belt without a booster.
Excerpt:
A booster seat raises and positions your child so that the vehicle's lap and shoulder belt fit properly. A booster seat keeps the lap belt from causing injury to the child's abdomen and keeps the shoulder belt in place to give the child upper body protection. In the event of a crash, an adult seat belt that does not fit a child properly can actually cause injury rather than prevent it, because it doesn't fit over the strong parts of the child’s body.
Types
High-Back Booster Seats
We recommended that you use a high-back booster if your vehicle has a low seat back. A low seat back does not offer any support for your child’s head either by the vehicle seat back or the head rest.
Backless Booster Seats
If your vehicle seat or head rest do provide support for your child’s head, you may use a backless booster seat.
Combination or All-in-One Car Seats, Used as Boosters
When your child outgrows the height or weight limits of the harness, remove the harness and use the seat as a booster. Be sure to carefully follow the instructions on how to convert your seat to a booster.
Excerpt:
Most kids aren't ready for boosters until they're 5 or 6 years old.
While it's best to keep your child in a 5-point harness as long as they still fit, eventually they'll need a booster. Your child is ready for a booster when they can do these things and you can follow these guidelines:
The child must be 4 years old and 40 pounds, as a bare minimum and can:
- Sit upright without slouching or leaning (forward or side-to-side) for the entire car ride.
- Never put the shoulder belt under their arm or behind their back.
- Rarely or never fall asleep in the car (unless they can stay in position upright as they would be while awake)
- Will obey these rules 100 percent of the time, every time.
- Fit in a high back booster with the shoulder belt across the middle of their collarbone -- not the neck -- and have the lap belt go across the tops of their thighs/pelvis -- not against their gut.
There are also videos help parents choose the right kind of restraint for a child's age and size and provide general information on installation and use. They also explain why children should be in seats both directions, boosters, and older children in seatbelts. They have real people as well as simulated crashes with crash dummies. They show what happens to unrestrained children in car crashes. They go flying around the car.
A booster must be used with a lap/shoulder belt. They can never be used with only a lap belt, in fact, no one should ever be in only a lap belt. It's not safe even for adults.
A booster must be used with a lap/shoulder belt. They can never be used with only a lap belt, in fact, no one should ever be in only a lap belt. It's not safe even for adults.
Forward Facing Information
Forward Facing Carseats
When your child outgrows the rear-facing car seat, the child should ride in a forward-facing car seat in the back seat. A forward-facing car seat has a harness and uses a top tether to limit your child’s forward movement during a crash.
Some younger children may outgrow the weight or height limit of the forward-facing car seat with a harness, but may not be ready to stay seated properly in a booster seat using the lap and shoulder belt. If this is the case, look for a car seat with a higher size limit. (x)
A child who isn’t big enough for a booster can slide out under the belt, called “submarining”, can have the belt sit on their belly or neck and cause internal damage to the gut or the esophagus and trachea. A child who will not sit upright, with the belt over their hip bones and over their collar bone, or tries to put their arm over the belt or the shoulder belt behind their back is not mature enough to sit in a booster, and a child who constantly falls asleep in the car should also be in a harness or they can be seriously injured in a crash. There’s some debate that heavier (60-70 pound+) children may be safer in a seatbelt, but currently the recommendation is still to wait until they outgrow their harness. (x)
When Should Your Child Turn Forward-Facing?
The American Academy of Pediatrics has for many years now recommended keeping kids rear-facing until they are too big for their convertible child safety seat.
I thought I could turn my child at a year and 20 pounds?!
This was the old recommendation. In 2011 both the AAP and NHTSA updated their recommendations to reflect the latest research in child passenger safety. The AAP now recommends that kids sit rear-facing till at least age 2. Since 2002, the AAP has recommended: "If a car safety seat accommodates children rear facing to higher weights, for optimal protection, the child should remain rear facing until reaching the maximum weight for the car safety seat, as long as the top of the head is below the top of the seat back." NHTSA now recommends: "Your child should remain in a rear-facing car seat until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer." Language required in car seat instruction manuals also creates some confusion and may lead parents to believe that a 1 year old and 20 lb child must sit forward-facing in order to be safe. This is untrue for most car seats--read your owners manual carefully to note the maximum rear-facing height and weight limits, not just the minimum allowed. (x)
When Should Your Child Turn Forward-Facing?
The American Academy of Pediatrics has for many years now recommended keeping kids rear-facing until they are too big for their convertible child safety seat.
I thought I could turn my child at a year and 20 pounds?!
This was the old recommendation. In 2011 both the AAP and NHTSA updated their recommendations to reflect the latest research in child passenger safety. The AAP now recommends that kids sit rear-facing till at least age 2. Since 2002, the AAP has recommended: "If a car safety seat accommodates children rear facing to higher weights, for optimal protection, the child should remain rear facing until reaching the maximum weight for the car safety seat, as long as the top of the head is below the top of the seat back." NHTSA now recommends: "Your child should remain in a rear-facing car seat until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer." Language required in car seat instruction manuals also creates some confusion and may lead parents to believe that a 1 year old and 20 lb child must sit forward-facing in order to be safe. This is untrue for most car seats--read your owners manual carefully to note the maximum rear-facing height and weight limits, not just the minimum allowed. (x)
Picture #1
Cervical vertebrae for a one-year old (left), and beside it a cervical vertebrae for a 6 year old (right)
Picture #2
Thoracic vertebrae for a 1 yr old (left) and for a 6 yr old (right).
Picture #3
Lumbar vertebrae for a 1 yr old (left) and for a 6 yr old (right).
Pictures Courtesy of: Human Osteology, T. White, 2000
Pictures Courtesy of: Human Osteology, T. White, 2000
Note that in all pictures, the 1-yr olds' vertebrae is still in pieces.
The vertebrae do not begin to fuse until age 3-6 years old. This is why rear-facing is the safest as it gives more support and protection to the incomplete vertebrae and therefore the spinal cord. With vertebrae in pieces, a forward facing child has a greater chance of damage to the spinal cord when their head and neck whip forward and back in a crash. This, however, brings us back to why we want to rear face children for as long as they fit into a rear facing seat. Between the new science that we’ve got and the knowledge about the spine, we’re finding that rear facing is extraordinarily protective. (x)
This shows what could happen to an unrestrained 3 year old (through front windowshield), 10 year old (cracks head into driver's head), and baby (airbag causes it to hit seat back) in a carseat in front of an airbag.
At 30kmh (18 mph) the result of a crash involving unrestrained children is like dropping them, head first off a 3rd story balcony. Of course it goes up from there D:
Unrestrained Child Crash Test
Two children are involved in a car crash - one child walks away frightened and bruised and the other is taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. The difference? A properly installed car seat.
This UMTRI video, which features child-size dummies, illustrates that scenario and shows exactly what can happened if a child is not properly secured in a car seat.
During the test, two 33-pound crash test dummies representing 3-year-old children were placed in the rear seat of a vehicle, one in a forward facing car seat and one completely unrestrained.
The dummies were then subject to a lab test simulating a moderate-to-severe crash at about 30 miles per hour. In the time it takes to blink an eye, the unrestrained dummy was launched forward into the front passenger seat and then ejected from the side of the back seat experiencing severe head and neck impact while the dummy in the car seat was thrown forward only slightly and pulled back by the harness and seat belt.
Two children are involved in a car crash - one child walks away frightened and bruised and the other is taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. The difference? A properly installed car seat.
This UMTRI video, which features child-size dummies, illustrates that scenario and shows exactly what can happened if a child is not properly secured in a car seat.
During the test, two 33-pound crash test dummies representing 3-year-old children were placed in the rear seat of a vehicle, one in a forward facing car seat and one completely unrestrained.
The dummies were then subject to a lab test simulating a moderate-to-severe crash at about 30 miles per hour. In the time it takes to blink an eye, the unrestrained dummy was launched forward into the front passenger seat and then ejected from the side of the back seat experiencing severe head and neck impact while the dummy in the car seat was thrown forward only slightly and pulled back by the harness and seat belt.
Excerpt:
There are 5 types of car safety restraints that can be used forward-facing.
Convertible seats—Seats that “convert” from rear-facing to forward-facing seats. These include 3-in-1 seats.
Forward-facing only—Seats can be used forward-facing with a harness for children who weigh up to 40 to 80 pounds (depending on the model). Although manufacturers are not currently making any forward-facing only seats, many remain in use from previous years.
Combination seat with harness—Seats can be used forward-facing with a harness for children who weigh up to 40 to 90 pounds (depending on the model) or without the harness as a booster (up to 80–120 pounds, depending on the model).
Built-in seats—Some vehicles come with built-in forward-facing seats. Weight and height limits vary. Read your vehicle owner’s manual or contact the manufacturer for details about how to use these seats.
Travel vests—Vests can be worn by children between 20 and 168 pounds and can be an option to traditional forward-facing seats. They are useful for when a vehicle has lap-only seat belts in the rear or for children whose weight has exceeded that allowed by car seats. These vests may require use of a top tether.How Will I Know When My Child Has Outgrown Their FF Seat?
If you're unsure of what anything in your manual means you can ask at Car-Seat.org or the FB groups I link to in Free Seats, Car Seat Checks, and Car Seat Advice.
Rearfacing & Extended Rearfacing Information
Sweden started focusing on car seat safety in 1960's, decades before other countries. They realized early on that many children were dying in traffic accidents and that almost all of these fatalities could easily be prevented by simple and affordable measures regardless of country. In the 1960's they also discovered how amazingly safe rear facing was, something which has saved the lives of a large amount of children since then. (x)
Approximately 75% of kids in Sweden rear-face until at least age 4. From 1999-2006, only 4 rear-facing children under age 4 were killed in crashes and their deaths were due to circumstances unrelated to the direction the carseat was facing (fire, drowning, excessive intrusion). During that same time frame, 6 kids under age 4 facing forward in booster seats were killed; 3 of these crashes were potentially survivable crashes had the children been in rear-facing carseats. (x)
In Sweden, where the recommendation is to keep children rear facing until age 4, ERF is rarely discussed. Rear facing until age 4 is almost a default behavior by parents. Many parents even rear face until 6! Since 1965, but mainly during the past 25 years, parents have been told to keep their children rear facing to save lives. Fortunately, most have listened. Although the European law permits forward facing at any age it’s unusual to see children under age three forward facing in Sweden. (x)
The rear-facing position reduces stresses to the neck and spinal cord and is particularly important for growing babies. Infants and young toddlers have spines made of soft bone and cartilage that doesn't begin to harden until around age 3. As a result, the spinal column can stretch up to 2 inches; however, the spinal cord will rupture after being stretched after only ¼ inch. This damage cannot be repaired. (x) (x)
Babies and toddlers have weak spines that haven’t fused to protect the spinal cord, and they have proportionately huge heads, and when forward-facing, the weight of the large head pulls on the weak spine, and can separate the skull from the spine, possibly severing the spinal cord (internal decapitation), resulting in paralysis or death. Also, the way the body slides when rear-facing helps the car and car seat absorb the maximum amount of centrifugal force so your baby’s body doesn’t have to — children are 75% less likely to die when rear-facing. Everyone is, actually, but it’s just not possible for adults. As far as their legs? Not only would leg breaks be preferable to a broken neck, but forward-facing children are more likely to break their legs than rear-facing children. (x)
No children have ever been reported to have broken their legs as a result of rearfacing.
We (Sweden) keep our kids rear facing mainly for the great protection of head and neck. As doctors say, "We can fix arms and legs – we can't fix head and neck". At this stage all children have weak neck muscles and a fragile skeleton. Head of a child is also proportionally very large, around 25% of total weight for a 12 month old. This makes forward facing a bad choice before age 4. (x)
Picture #1
Cervical vertebrae for a one-year old (left), and beside it a cervical vertebrae for a 6 year old (right)
Picture #2
Thoracic vertebrae for a 1 yr old (left) and for a 6 yr old (right).
Picture #3
Lumbar vertebrae for a 1 yr old (left) and for a 6 yr old (right).
Pictures Courtesy of: Human Osteology, T. White, 2000
Pictures Courtesy of: Human Osteology, T. White, 2000
Note that in all pictures, the 1-yr olds' vertebrae is still in pieces.
The vertebrae do not begin to fuse until age 3-6 years old. This is why rear-facing is the safest as it gives more support and protection to the incomplete vertebrae and therefore the spinal cord. With vertebrae in pieces, a forward facing child has a greater chance of damage to the spinal cord when their head and neck whip forward and back in a crash. This, however, brings us back to why we want to rear face children for as long as they fit into a rear facing seat. Between the new science that we’ve got and the knowledge about the spine, we’re finding that rear facing is extraordinarily protective. (x)
The vertebrae do not begin to fuse until age 3-6 years old. This is why rear-facing is the safest as it gives more support and protection to the incomplete vertebrae and therefore the spinal cord. With vertebrae in pieces, a forward facing child has a greater chance of damage to the spinal cord when their head and neck whip forward and back in a crash. This, however, brings us back to why we want to rear face children for as long as they fit into a rear facing seat. Between the new science that we’ve got and the knowledge about the spine, we’re finding that rear facing is extraordinarily protective. (x)
Gives reasons why the recommendations recently changed and shows proportions of a child in relation to an adult, also shows why protecting the neck is so important for small children with diagrams of how the neck vertebrae change and fuse as we get older.
Excerpt:
How much safer is rear facing? Research has shown rear facing to be 500% safer up to two years of age. Do benefits disappear after that? Not at all. Rear facing is always safer, even for adults like you and me. Benefits decrease with age as our children develop fragile head, neck and spine. Rear facing at ages 3 or 4 still offer large benefits which the Swedes have shown in real life.
500% may sound like a lot but numbers can be hard to grasp. In 100 collisions of rear facing kids, 8 rear facing children will die or become seriously injured. 92 will walk away fine. In 100 collisions with forward facing kids, 40 will die or become seriously injured. 60 will walk away fine. Those are large differences which help to save lives.
"Yeah, I don't understand how we are all ok. Especially T2... every single person coming on scene thought they were dealing with at LEAST a medvac, if not a casualty. People didn't believe us when we told them the 2 year old I was holding that kept shrieking "I can't want a bandaid!!!!!" was the kid sitting there"
Rachel's crash demonstrates SO well one of the lesser-touted benefits of rear-facing- it places the child's head, the most vulnerable part, toward the center of the vehicle, inside it's protective cage, during the initial impact, the most severe part of the crash- no matter where that impact is, to the front, the rear, or the side- allowing the vehicle to protect the rear-facing occupant.
Excerpt:
The safest place for your child to ride is in a rear-facing car seat, in the back seat. In a crash, the rear-facing car seat protects your child's head, neck, and spine. Keep your child rear-facing for as long as possible according to manufacturers' instructions.
Types
Infant Car Seat (Rear-Facing Only)
"Infant-only" car seats can only be used rear-facing. These types of seats are designed to be portable and
are generally lighter in weight and easier to carry than car seats intended for older kids.
Best Practice: When your child outgrows the infant car seat, move him or her to a convertible, 3-in-1 or an All-in-One car seat, used rear-facing. These seats typically have higher height and weight limits for the rear-facing position, allowing you to keep your child rear-facing longer. If a baby under 1 year old grows too tall or too heavy for an infant-only car seat, we recommend moving the baby to a car seat with higher rear-facing size limits.
Convertible
Convertible car seats offer you the advantage of using one seat for both the rear-facing and then the forward-facing position as your child grows. Read the manual carefully, and remember that children should continue to ride rear-facing until they reach the top height or weight limit before you move them to the forward-facing position.
All-in-One or 3-in-1
All-in-One and 3-in-1 seats offer you the advantage of using the same seat for the following positions: rear-facing, forward-facing with harness, then booster.
Best Practices
For both types of seat: Read the manual carefully, and remember that children should continue to ride rear-facing until they reach the top height or weight limit, before you move them to the forward-facing positions with harnesses.
Commonly Asked Questions
Won’t his legs get hurt rear facing? No. Nationally, in rear facing children, there have been no reported cases of injury to the extremities. On the other hand, in forward facing children, we’ve found that there are a great number of extremity injuries – it’s the second most likely thing to get hurt, after the head and neck.
What’s he do with his legs? Well, many kids put them over the sides of the car seat, up on the back of the vehicle seat or sit “criss-cross-applesauce”. It’s easy for them, they are very flexible.
Won’t she be squished? This child has just spent 9 months curled up in her mother’s womb. We recommend swaddling. This is no different. Children are very flexible and they can do many things that we as adults would be uncomfortable doing. Adult perceptions should be put aside when looking at comfort for a child. If your child outgrows their infant seat, there are now many convertible seats that rear face to 35, 40 and even 45 lbs.
When is my rear facing seat outgrown?
When the baby's legs reach the end of the car seat or are touching the seat? No. The seat is outgrown when:
- The child has outgrown the rear facing weight limit of his or her car seat (if the child is younger than one, he or she needs a car seat with a higher rear facing weight limit.) AND
- The child is at LEAST two-four years old – rear facing longer is safer
- The child’s head comes to within one inch of the shell of the rear facing car seat
Car Seats For The Littles has an ERF album. You can see a 6 year old, not included in the album, happily rearfacing here.
Child Passenger Safety Laws in Ohio
State Law
Excerpt:
Ohio’s revised child restraint law requires the following:
- Children less than 4 years old or 40 pounds must use a child safety seat.
- Children less than 8 years old, unless they are at least 4 feet, 9 inches tall must use a booster seat. (but they can also use a carseat and in some case it's better that they do)
Fines will range from a minimum of $25 to a maximum of $75 per occurrence. A booster seat can be purchased for as little as $15.
- Children ages 8-15 must use a child safety seat or safety belt.
Our state laws are ok, but they could be better. Adhering to the law and and stopping carseat/booster use as soon as they say you can isn't recommendable or safe.
They don't take into account that a 4 year old's bones are still solidifying so it'd be best if they waited to go in a booster slightly later, or that a child needs to properly fit in a seat belt to be protected and not harmed by the belt in a crash so stopping at 8, and not 4' 9" and 80lb + fits the seat properly. They don't take into account that a 11 year old may still not fit the seatbelt in their vehicle correctly. As a law it isn't good enough and is letting too many children slip through cracks and be potentially injured with preventable injuries.
Children who are too small for the seatbelt or in only a lap belt can submarine out of it and sustain injuries. Children who don't use the belt properly because they're too small for it can be injured by the belt.
A booster can be bought for under $15 at Walmart and Kmart. Are they the cushiest? No, but they are as safe as any other as long as you can get proper belt fit.
They don't take into account that a 4 year old's bones are still solidifying so it'd be best if they waited to go in a booster slightly later, or that a child needs to properly fit in a seat belt to be protected and not harmed by the belt in a crash so stopping at 8, and not 4' 9" and 80lb + fits the seat properly. They don't take into account that a 11 year old may still not fit the seatbelt in their vehicle correctly. As a law it isn't good enough and is letting too many children slip through cracks and be potentially injured with preventable injuries.
Children who are too small for the seatbelt or in only a lap belt can submarine out of it and sustain injuries. Children who don't use the belt properly because they're too small for it can be injured by the belt.
A booster can be bought for under $15 at Walmart and Kmart. Are they the cushiest? No, but they are as safe as any other as long as you can get proper belt fit.
Child Passenger Safety Week 2012 Masterpost :P I'm not changing the post title
I wrote most of this weeks ago. Is there any better time than Child Passenger Safety Week to finally post it? (:P Months ago now. Never got it out but don't feel like making a new header.)
Seeing this article: http://houston.
I also read about a few other crashes. A Muslim sister was in a car crash and died the day before I started this post and someone on the carseat board I visit had a car accident in their family. Her nephews were 4 and 5. The 4 yr old was in a low back booster during the crash and was ok. Alhamdulillah, even though that's not the best thing for a child that age to be in, he was ok. However, the 5 year old was in nothing and hit his head hard. He also has abdominal issues from the lap belt being on his belly.
Alhamdulillah, through the grace of Allah, they weren't more hurt. The outcome could have been worse. Last week I read on another carseat forum about a woman who had a friend with twins. One of the twins had died the previous weekend because the woman they were with didn't have them in carseats so the flew out the car. One died, the other was severely bruised up.
I also read about a few other crashes. A Muslim sister was in a car crash and died the day before I started this post and someone on the carseat board I visit had a car accident in their family. Her nephews were 4 and 5. The 4 yr old was in a low back booster during the crash and was ok. Alhamdulillah, even though that's not the best thing for a child that age to be in, he was ok. However, the 5 year old was in nothing and hit his head hard. He also has abdominal issues from the lap belt being on his belly.
Alhamdulillah, through the grace of Allah, they weren't more hurt. The outcome could have been worse. Last week I read on another carseat forum about a woman who had a friend with twins. One of the twins had died the previous weekend because the woman they were with didn't have them in carseats so the flew out the car. One died, the other was severely bruised up.
Child Passenger Safety is not something that only 'over-protective' parents should be concerned about. Passenger safety in cars is a very real issue. Allah will keep us safe, inshaAllah, but we also have to take precautions.
Please read the information I'm going to link you to and give it some thought. I can at least rest easy knowing that I've done my duty to inform you about something I've been gathering knowledge about. If I hadn't at least said something I know that if something happened (God forbid) I would be wracked with guilt.
Please read the information I'm going to link you to and give it some thought. I can at least rest easy knowing that I've done my duty to inform you about something I've been gathering knowledge about. If I hadn't at least said something I know that if something happened (God forbid) I would be wracked with guilt.
I bought my seats and boosters since at times we have kids in the car and I wanted to be within the law and not at the risk of being ticketed. However, the foremost reason was that I wanted to be able to travel safely with the children. I feel bad whenever I travel with children that aren't safely restrained and I couldn't take the guilt anymore in my father's car when I had the funds to outfit it with seats. After that idea caught me, I started learning more.
I've had several children in the seats and none of them have complained. Even if they don't usually sit in a carseat or don't face the direction I've put them in they don't mind. Of course that's probably because they're not with me full time but it's never too late to start good practices.
When I had J (8) sit in one for a car ride because M hadn't brought his or A's (5) boosters in, he didn't mind at all and wanted to sit in it again since it was comfy. I let A use her booster even though the belt fit in our car was not good for her since we didn't have a clip for the shoulder belt. She would have been better in a carseat since she slept a lot in the car . She didn't really seem to mind when I had her sit in one for a few rides. She only wondered why she was in one instead of her booster. When we had brother Z's girls, I used a booster with his eldest, a FF seat with the middle daughter, and a RF seat with his 2 yr old. All of them were happy. The older girls thought it was odd that T was rearfacing but T didn't care at all. I'm mentioning this since if that is what a kid knows is how they have to ride in a car they won't put up a fuss or not much of one. This is even more the case when they've been educated as to why they're sitting in/on a seat or booster. A lot of the kids even 3+ that I've put rearfacing just to play and see how they fit have mentioned how comfy it is.
Several people on the carseat board I'm a member of have children that will tell other children and adults why they're RF, still in a carseat, or in a booster and won't let anyone start a car unless they're restrained properly. Of course some ages are problem ages and the child doesn't want to be restrained at all :p
Getting started in this area can be frustrating because there are so many things to learn about and rules but inshaAllah it's for our betterment. I know when I was buying my carseats and practicing installing them in the car, learning about different things I didn't know about I got a bit angry. I felt it was easier when I was more ignorant and my main concern was small babies being strapped into their carseats properly (as well as if an older toddler was in one) and the seat buckled in. However, that was not safer for the other children or me or anyone else in the car. Children and adults that aren't properly restrained and in age/size appropriate restraints can come flying out and hit other people when there's an accident. Small children wearing seat belts without a booster to help position it can get abdominal injuries since they don't have the bones developed enough to keep the seat belt in place.
This is long. Sorry, It's hard for me to tell what's necessary and what isn't it. I erred on the side of too much. I hope it doesn't look like an intimidating wall of text. I wanted to only do this once so I'm going to divide it into sections. Just as I was about to post, I decided to make each section a separate post. Click each section title to go to the corresponding post. Please read this and the links in pieces if you can't find the time to read everything in ones go.
Feel free to bookmark this so you can read at your leisure, too :)
The sections will be State Law, Rearfacing & Extended Rearfacing (these days ERF is considered anything after the age of 2-4), Forward Facing, Booster Seats, Other Important Info, Free Seats, Car Seat Checks, and Car Seat Advice and Videos the Kids Watched.
Feel free to bookmark this so you can read at your leisure, too :)
The sections will be State Law, Rearfacing & Extended Rearfacing (these days ERF is considered anything after the age of 2-4), Forward Facing, Booster Seats, Other Important Info, Free Seats, Car Seat Checks, and Car Seat Advice and Videos the Kids Watched.
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