27 December 2011
As we approach the end of 2011, this years reflection focuses on CPS, child passenger safety, education in my community, Boulder, Colorado. For over 10 years I have had the support and assistance of one of our Boulder Police Department officers. Her tireless dedication to this program has been both a relief and a blessing as no one car seat technician can support a community the size of Boulder. With all of that, she is moving on and taking a promotion that will take her away from this cause. For the next few months, I will be the lone technician in Boulder. I am hopeful that some of the identified candidates to become technicians will be able and willing to participate in the 32 hour training class, make it through their apprenticeship and find support in their efforts, along with me, in our community. What about the fire department you ask? Well, we do not train fire fighters in Colorado to assist with car seats. Some departments throughout the state have opted in, most have let the opportunity pass and some have opted out believing this effort is not important. I will not comment further on my opinions other than to say that in Boulder County we have only one of 26 or so fire districts that participate in CPS. Hats off to BC Monty Richardson and the Longmont Fire Department. The rest of you, let’s rise to the occasion. I could spill statistics about the importance of this effort, but most have heard them all. I will throw two stats out there; they are over 90% of car seats are installed or used incorrectly and only about 25% of car seats ever get checked. It is well known that a car crash is the most likely reason, outside the home, a child does not live to graduate from high school. I volunteer an average of 60 plus hours a week to this effort. Yet, I sit at our local hospital or at a shopping center and see many car seats that need attention. Parents through either pride or ignorance let these situations carry on, maybe having a friend or neighbor assist them. Bad idea. An untrained person should never adjust or install your car seat for you, if for no other reason than they likely have no idea if they are doing it right, even if they have had kids of visited with a technician previously. Why? Well if nothing else, liability. I do dislike bringing that up, but bottom line, I do not care how well educated someone is, there are very few car seat experts out there. Even with 1000 plus trained individuals in Colorado, less than 100 have checked 5000 seats of more, much less are an obsessive geek like myself with over 50,000 seats checked. I would not let a neighbor do a brake job on my car if they were not a trained mechanic, why would you let someone else take responsibility for the safety of a child if they are not properly trained. So Sue, with all your experience and dedication, we will miss you. Thanks & congrats!
19 December 2011
If you have read my blog/ramblings in the past you know that safety is part of my shtick. I live with technology, having lived for it for many years. If you tried to reach me Sunday, 18 December 2011, you may have had an unexpected challenge. Well, so did I. In an effort to do some wireless plan upgrades, something that will have me more on social media in the near future, I was unexpectedly taken off line for the day. Well, all is back and up and running, so feel free to reach out and call me. We’ll have our Twitter and Facebook feed up soon, and then we’ll open up for text. As many of you know, I was involved in the “do not text and drive” legislation we have here in Colorado. I will follow those rules without question, so call me if you want to reach me in a timely manner. Text will allow for sending me information that is sometimes easier than a phone call ‘with writing things down’ may allow. As for the NTSB news of the last week or so, I do not support a ban on the use of wireless devices, GPS or other electronics in our vehicles. I do fully endorse the use of hands free devices as I have used hands free on my cell phones for over 20 years; yea, I am that old, and that much of a geek. Beginning drivers, those with many of the challenges we in the safety community work with, new parents who are getting used to the presence of that new born in the car, the easily distracted in general (you know who you are, oh, bright shiny thing…) should have restrictions, if none other than self imposed. Most all new parents I talk with get that part of the presentation. As was pointed out by the NTSB, and traffic crash data supports, distractions from within the car do influence or cause a large number of crashes. All passengers, pets, new born or older kids and other adults, along with the electronics either provided by the car manufacturer or added by us, are potential sources of distraction. The fact it is a hand held cell phone is only part of the problem. The reason we see the car manufacturers focusing on hands free is they understand the distraction opportunity and they do not want to be restricted from adding features (read value or profit) to their vehicles. We, as owner, driver of our vehicles have to take responsibility for the responsible use of all of this technology, built in or added by us, carried in our hand, etc. If we do not, we will see state and federal “guidance” on how these devices/features are used, and if we are not careful, restrictions that may take them away from us altogether.
22 August 2011
So I've been a little chatty this month, this is good as I am sharing what I see. To that end, I spent my weekend at a local county fair where I assisted local law enforcement with an information booth on safety and offered car seat checks. Since the event was in a small mountain community with low population density we did not expect to be very busy, so we were impressed with the quantity and quality of questions about the change from education to enforcement in our booster seat law. Local officers had been writing tickets, now enforcing the law, and that had stimulated some discussion. We brought sample boosters for demonstration and seats to distribute to families in the community. All the information and education was well received and each day we saw several hundred people. With the business, and the offering of car seat checking we expected the car seat check area would be busy. As I floated between the two areas, I was continually impressed with the voluntary foot traffic at the information booth. When I went to the check area, there was rarely any activity. For every 10 to 15 families we talked to at the booth, maybe one brought their vehicle by for a check. As is usually the case, we found mistakes in use, installation or child harnessing, in every car seat we checked. Though there were no really old car seats, 10 or more years, we did pick up some recent classics that were past useful life. Those will be recycled. It was often said by the parents that they were not aware of the car seat expiration, though printed in the plastic shell of all the car seats we collected, and they were often not aware of safety features build into their cars for car seat installation. Every car seat error was corrected, and all but one car seat brought for distribution was given away. Based on what we saw, as we already know, there are a lot of parents out there thinking their kids are safe and their car seats are correct, and that is clearly not the case. Part of my personal motivation for doing what I do was meeting with parents after a tragic event and seeing their grief if there was something they could have done to create probability of a better outcome than they were experiencing. I get the pride, but come on, set that aside and let this passionate safety community assist you with proper installation and use. Don't throw caution to the wind, because if something bad does happen, you will never forgive yourself.
15 August 2011
Well. it has been an interesting week this past week. 3 situations that came up need to be aired. The first was a family who I had seen for their first infant. Four years ago they delivered at our local hospital and I assisted them with infant seat installation. Over the years, a second child came along. I get the call this past week that the combo seat they have for their 4 year old is not staying "tight" in their vehicle. I visited with them, and the combo for the 4-year-old needed correct installation, as it was very incorrect. The convertible they had for their 2 year old also needed help. I got them all fixed up. The follow up; I see about 10% of the families I visit with prior to or during discharge from the hospital for their second car seat, second child or other transitions. Why? If the family I just highlighted had been in a crash, the way their car seats were installed would probably not have allowed the car seats to provide the protection the parents expected. They were fortunate. Issue two, a family with very early twins who neglected to use the weeks that the infants were in a NICU to get car seat advice. They chose two convertible car seats that were too big for their car, and could not provide the head position for proper breathing for these infants. After discussion about kids not passing an angle tolerance test, they asked what was the worst that could happen, other than a crash. As there was not an opportunity for them to visit with me, I suggested another car seat technician to assist so that there would be high probability of correct installation and use of the car seats and lower possibility of kids suffocating in their car seats. They declined after getting angry with me. I don't get it; I offered solutions, they did not want to hear. Third, I received a call from a family I had assisted on several occasions who was trying to assist a neighbor, who I had previously assisted at the hospital (but not since), with installation of a new car seat for a 1 year old who was transitioning into a convertible to be installed forward facing going directly from the infant seat the child had been in since birth. The child is fussy, probably because the harness in the previous infant car seat had been to often too loose. The move to a convertible is to allow keeping the child rear facing. Why go to a convertible if you are transitioning to forward facing? Why put the child forward facing when they are 6 to 10 times safer rear facing. If you are not a trained CPS Technician, do not assist friends with their car seat. I am not a liability freak, but the risk is not worth it if something is wrong. Encourage the family to visit with a trained professional. What a week! And we wonder why 98 out of 100 car seats in my community are installed or used incorrectly, of the 25% or so that we get to check. Call me.
1 August 2011
It’s here Colorado … yea, the booster seat law is finally law. So how do I feel? Well a little relieved, disappointed and hopeful. Why you may ask? Relieved; there is a law that offers better advice to parents on restraining those kids out of harnessed car seats and keeping them safer. Disappointed; our state legislature could have gone further, but sadly parents don’t let them. Hopeful; that this law will provide the intended guidance and inspire parents to look at what they can do to keep those shorter, maybe heavier, kids in the back seat and understand what’s the best way to keep them safe. NHTSA, on their web site http://www.nhtsa.gov/ChildSafety/step4, gives the tips and advice we in the safety community hope all parents will follow. First, children under the age of 12 should be in the back seat as long as there is a lap and shoulder belt for them. Lap only seat belts are best for restraining harnessed car seats, not kids out of a booster, and NEVER for a child in a booster seat. To move a child from a booster seat to the adult seat belt, follow these suggestions. First, have the child’s back fully up against the vehicle seat back, no slouch or scooch forward, at all. Next, check to see if the child’s legs bend naturally at the vehicle seat edge, without ANY scooting forward, period. Next, place the lap and shoulder seat belt over the child as though you were attaching and placing it on yourself. Next, make sure the lap portion of the seat belt is on the thighs, not the stomach, at all, on top of the thighs. At this point, if the vehicle seat belt design is one that allows the seat belt to be on the stomach or the buckle hardware connection to be up toward the kidney area, the child should be in a booster, no matter the age. So if the seat belt is on the lap/thighs, now check to make sure the shoulder/upper body seat belt is across the chest in a comfortable position from the buckle to the shoulder belt attachment to the vehicle. This position at the shoulder is sometime adjustable, so check your vehicle owners' manual. The shoulder belt should lie snug across the shoulder and chest without crossing the neck or face. Lastly, keep them boosted until at least 4 feet 9 inches.
8 March 2011
You may have noticed that our web site was down for about a week. The economy, cash flow and travel to teach on behalf of Children’s Hospital, CDOT and State Patrol can have that unintended consequence. Now that we are firmly into 2011, I am looking around to see what this year might hold. So far, our requests for service, assistance with car seat use/education, assistance with discounted car seats/loaner program and our vehicle assistance program/transportation, are all on pace with last year. Last year was big, we saw a 28% increase in requests for assistance. I have not totaled the numbers, but I am still exhausted. Where does recycling fit in? I’ve got to run those numbers also, but I can tell it was big. Not including the beginning of this year where my February 14th blog talks about the activity thus far, I still have about 1600 seats for finish up and crush from last year. Though I mention this in other parts of the web site, our recycling program is getting expensive, as plastic value is not rising along with oil prices. Please consider leaving a few dollars with car seats for us to recycle or make a contribution here from the web site. Our vehicle assistance program has taken a few bit hits in the past 12 months that may cause us to close the program down. A local independent mechanic that we assisted with car seats had been working on a few of our cars and received a loaner car from us in exchange for the work. He has vanished with five cars and two trailers. One of our loaner cars got towed when it was left without notifying us. One has been totaled due to a slide off the road into a pole and the driver did not have the required insurance, the good news there is no injuries. We have lost our vehicle parking location where we staged cars for preparation to get them to families. And, we are loosing our large vehicle storage lot, the parking location for vehicles we use for the collection and transportation of the car seats we collect for recycling. Looks like this might be a tough year, call me if you can help. Thanks.
14 December 2010
I recently worked with a family who had purchased a new for family car with all the modern safety equipment to try to keep their kids as safe as possible. This is a new car to them, a relatively new car as a 2004, and was purchased from a reputable dealership in the metro area in late 2007. Why is this all-important? Apparently, no one at the dealership explained how safety and car seat installation modes work in seat belts. One day recently, during a drive, one of the children extended the seat belt webbing all the way, this engaged or switched the seat belt retractor into the car seat installation locked or ratchet tighten mode. Panicking because the seat belt is now tightening on her child for reasons unknown to her, the mom stops the car and cuts the seat belt with scissors to free the child. Now the family would like the car dealership or car manufacturer to replace the cut seat belt so they can use the car for their children. Thought it could be argued that the family has had the car long enough to read the owners manual, which they do have, I am almost of the opinion that the dealer should replace the seat belt as a courtesy. Why? Because it is the dealerships responsibility to explain how safety equipment works, just like they would for the transmission and electric windows. If an auto dealership, new car or used car, manufacturer franchisee or independent, cannot explain safety equipment, they should contract with a safety professional, like a car seat technician, to do this for them. If they, the dealership, are unwilling to train their own staff, bring in a contractor. This is a liability limiting, pro active and pro consumer thing to do. In Colorado, I can count the number of dealerships with trained people that I know of on one hand. That is a disgrace, in my opinion. So, as we look forward into a new year, and without needing to encourage legislative action, at this time, I challenge all auto dealers, and their local car seat technicians, to connect and promote good and responsible transportation safety education.
29 November 2010
Change is good, even when we resist it. So the change I mention is related to some of the social marketing and networking that we do. Historically, we have relied on word of mouth. Starting January 1st, we will be working with Constant Contact, MeetUp, Facebook, Twitter, and the Thirstday’s/Always Buy Local family of web presences. I believe in community building, and I have worked through Safe Kids Colorado, Safe Kids Metro Denver, CPS Team Colorado, hospitals and many area mom’s groups. This has been a great start and we will continue our work with and support of all of these communities. But to grow presence, and revenue, we need to branch our and evolve. In my previous post I mentioned my belief in community. I also mentioned that I believe in my neighbors, so meeting neighbors at a local pub and promoting safe transportation go hand in hand. Some of the community web sites I mentioned will become operating units of our organization. Business promotion revenue generated will help support our efforts as we educate. Some out there may not agree with this decision, or position. Our “Car Seat Angel” program has had some success, but not enough to sustain us on its own. We had hoped for more. We are patient, but not foolish enough to wait forever. Additionally, we are working on some grants and a way to spin our Recycling program off to begin to sustain its self so we can limit the financial exposure that program has had. Recycling feels good, but it has been revenue negative, and even with voluntary contributions to help offset costs, it needs to try to live on its own. This does not mean we are stopping the Recycling program, it means we will be asking, in a more consistent way, for the contributions that help the program not cost us money. Please consider supporting all of our fund raising efforts, Car Seat Angel, Recycling, business promotion through Thirstday’s and Always Buy Local, and digging into your pocket in this upcoming holiday time frame. We return all of the contributions we receive into support for the community. Help us do good.
9 September 2010
Updated- As I watch the coverage of the fire west of Boulder, the Fourmile Canyon fire that started on Labor Day, I am thankful for the relative peace in my life as compared to the many families we have helped with child restraints; many of them live up in those hills now charred from the fire. Because we focus on the whole family for transportation safety, and not just a child, we develop long-standing relationships with the families we serve. I know at least 2 dozen affected families, having worked with many through a child or two, then meeting them as they support the community; shopping, auto repair, used/expired car seat donation, school, restaurants and in the local home brewing community. I feel privileged to know so many neighbors, and each year, for the past four years at least, we have served over 4000 families in our community. As the news media ask for support for the displaced families, I look forward to an evening out, some of these families will be with us enjoying this little distraction, an evening out at one of our local brew pubs to raise money for our work, their needs and building a stronger community. Walnut Brewery has generously offered to contribute a portion of each pint of the Octoberfest style beer sold to the work we do. This promotion will run until the beer runs out, starting the evening of September 9th after 6 PM. Having served families of the Walnut Brewery, their Rock Bottom Foundation and many families throughout their restaurant family, I feel honored. Those who know me know I am not concerned about the perceived image of a “safety professional” who supports the activities of the brewing industry. Though public transit may not be to a European standard, we have decent transit to support responsibility throughout most of the metro area. I sure wish it was better in our rural communities. As we come off the 100 Days of DUI enforcement, I know that members of our community can responsibly enjoy a night out and get home safe. I see more designated drivers now than I ever have. Without editorializing too much more, I can not see why some agencies will not work with the adult beverage industry. These are often young folks, with families, and at least here in Boulder, they are my neighbors.
12 May 2009
I hope this is not a late night rant. Work with me here. As followers of this web site and my activities know, I much prefer to be working with a family, at their car and answering their questions. I have posted on my web sites that I always prefer a phone call. To that end, I am amazed how many people email me, once, twice, three times, irritated that I am not responding. Sorry folks, car seats are in cars, not on computers. I may have 30 plus years around technology, but that does not mean I like to be a slave to it. To the contrary, I prefer to be away from in, working with families at their cars, in classrooms or the hospital lobby, somewhere where people are who want assistance. Please do not tie me to my computer, or any one of the web sites that I have. I may sit down and answer an email here or there, but it is not what I want to spend my time on. Additionally, and you folks know the type, there are too many people who take 11 emails to accomplish what a two minute conversation could. I give 50 plus hours a week to this safety program, unpaid. I love the time I spend, and give willingly. I would much rather assist, and assist, and assist, helping as many people as I can in a day or week or month. Expecting me to be here, at my keyboard, plunking away endlessly is not only unreasonable, it does not respect my time. Sure, I could take on more technology and talk while software types. But what about my tan? It is nice to go to the driving range on occasion and relax chasing a golf ball around. I like to work on my cars. Every day that I do I learn more, and that helps the families I work with. It also make sure vehicles in our family loaner program get the attention they need. I do add a feature or two on occasion, but that is when the Colorado snow keeps me inside. That did not happened much this past winter. So, if you have any car seat questions; use, recycling, fit, pre-purchase, you name it. Grab that 100 plus year old invention, the telephone, and give me a call. Thanks.
13 January 2009
Happy New Year and welcome to 2009. As Colorado Children's Automobile Safety Association-Foundation reaches its 10th birthday, along with our local Safe Kids coalition, Safe Kids Denver Metro, and our "parent" initiative for injury prevention in Colorado, Wyoming and the Nebraska panhandle, the Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Institute at the Children's Hospital, Denver, reaches its 15th, I have great cause for reflection. Yes, that was a long sentence, but it serves to highlight the relationships that bring us effective injury prevention education. For 15 years now I have worked to create, support and lead all of these organizations, and more. What do I have to show for all of this, the pride of commitment, along with the fatigue of follow through. The knowledge of success, along with the question of effectiveness. The satisfaction of organizational growth and satisfaction in seeing a decline in our regional injury statistics. Yet the question, have we done enough? The bottom line is we will never know. Why? Because there is no headline when a bicycle helmet protects a child when their bicycle crashes into a fence and a child gets to walk home with only cuts and scrapes. Because there is no news media called to report a child being safe in a "safe" crib or entertainer instead of a heirloom crib or baby walker. Because a car crash with minor injuries looses our interest instead of hearing the siren call signaling the need for first responders. Yet, these are all signs of success.
On my page you can read about my passion for technology, my commitment to safety, my zest for life and my love of the mechanicals of cars. I will let you indulge yourself there if you wish. Central to most all of this is the community service organization, Kiwanis. Again, this is something you can explore on your own. My commitment to my communities has many layers. Underlying all of the layers are the Scouting pillars of Oath, Laws, Motto and Slogan. Details of these can also be found through other links. In all of my service to the community, most all has been as a volunteer; unpaid. An average week in 2008 saw me giving 50 hours of my time to safety. An occasional teaching or consulting gig would net some compensation for my time. Anything that is done as a labor of love is not done for the money. As such, I appreciate all donations to our foundation and all payment, but none is expected. When one commits to volunteering, even if one is a paid professional, the obligation was to volunteer. The gift of payment, following the activity is that, a gift, and should not be expected. When we volunteer, as often and challenging as that can be, the community and greater good benefit. If we only do what we are paid for, we will likely live a dull and uninspired life. Cheers!
19 November 2008
In the world of public safety we struggle, at least I do, with the notion that we are doing good with a goal of protecting every child from the preventable injuries caused by a car crash, if one were to happen. I have two added battles that challenge me most every day. First, with the exception of a local police officer, I am the only resident of my community who is a child passenger safety specialist. This is a community of 100,000 plus, and I get my work out, as a volunteer, daily. Second, I have worked from home in my "other" job and assisting with transportation safety for 9 years, 8 of them with out challenge. In the past year, I had continual challenge by neighbors and public officials, all over doing good from my home. Go figure. As this frustration has just come to a head in the past 24 hours, I will chill a little more and add some of the details in the next 24. If you are interested in this issue, please call me, lend an ear and see what suggestions you may have. Thanks.
5 October 2008
Time flies, and soon the beautiful Colorado snow! I am motivated to write as I hear a shout out to one of my favorite web sites by two of my favorite radio personalities, Click & Clack, the Car Guys. MotherProof.Com has released not only a new web site, but some web video on safety and car seat topics that I am privileged to be featured in. Follow this link, http://www.motherproof.com/advice-safety/story/when-is-it-time-to-put-your-child-in-a-booster-seat/, and we address the booster seat issue along with the recently released IIHS study on booster seats effectiveness.
2 January 2008
24 June 2007
Mother Proof : A quest for the quintessential mom-mobile
If you have been watching this space, sorry, too many car seats, too little time. I have been teaching CPS technician classes in Colorado & Nebraska. And I have been learning cool things from students! The web site featured here is one of them. Check it out yourself. I ran across it a year or two ago and recently had the web site founder, Kristin Varela, as a CPS technician student. Great resource for moms and a mom who is going places! I've got a few rants to post and I will fill in the missing entries.
19 February 2007
NHTSA - February 8, 2007: Making safety seats easier to install?
If you have been watching this space, sorry for the absense. Computer problems. Resolved for now, so another couple blogs on this NHTSA proposal and other topics will be here in a few days.
5 January 2007
Consumer Reports - February 2007 Safety alert: What if this were your child?
Here they go again, so don't panic. Not that I have any issue with the findings, I have blogged about these issues in the past. The botton line is the weak link in the safety system; apathy. Most of what we do in this country is geared toward convenience, not safety. The LATCH system (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) is one of these systems. No wonder it allows car seats to fail the Consumer Reports tests that are part of this report. I have taken on LATCH in the past and will make that blog available again in a few days.
Returning to this report, I do aplaud what Consumer Reports has done, it is just that I am not happy with their method of getting this information out to the consuming public. Panic only helps magazine sales, news outlets and web sites :). The real issue is, and should be, the lack of real safety performance requirements that we, the consuming public, accept. This article highlights the fact that car seats are only tested in a simulated 30 mph crash. This is fine if you expect to have a car crash at 30 mph. Slower speeds are OK, maybe, so what about crashes that occur at greater than 30 mph, as many do? The statement that "any car seat is better than no car seat" is one I do agree with. But, why should we and do we settle for such sub-par safety performance requirements when other parts of the world have lead the way with better safety and performance requirements for car seats, cars and related products? We get back to convenience.
Like the LATCH and testing issues, I also have blogged on convenience. See my 2006 bloggs to brush up. As for crash testing speed, testing only at 30 mph is not "real" world. Crash speeds vary and you can not test for every speed or environment that a crash could occur at. That said, I believe that we should test at a minimum of 3 different crash speeds to give more comprehensive results. Since side-impact crash test performance requirements are not yet standardized, why not look to car seats made to stricter standards and imported for sale in this country. Consumer Reports did look at some of these seats and made good conclusions about their use. Not only do I agree with looking at these products, for the reasons outlined in the article, I absolutely agree with the use of adult seat belt systems for installing and restraining the car seats and NOT using LATCH.
I will not take on brands or models as Consumer Reports has done. They have better laywers than I do. I am also not trying to take on a Consumers Union, Consumer Reports or NHTSA, though there are concerns I have. As a car seat technician/instructor who is committed to helping anyone who calls or shows up at one of my car seat fit events, I have a responsibility to help any family with any product they arrive with. Even car seats that may have not had the performance results in the Consumer Reports tests that we would all prefer are better than no car seat. No one, no program, no government can afford to replace every 'bad' car seat that arrives at a safety check. Like it or not, people buy what they like, what they can afford and use what they have. If we could reduce the number of improperly installed car seats, we would improve children's safety far more than this article will. But I digress.
The statement that was heard on NPR and many TV news programs indicating that "if the crash occures at the 30 mph standard for performance, then the car and car seat are designed to provide the safest environment possible for a child" is based on good reasoning. The follow-on stating that "if the crash occurs at the newer 35 mph for front impact or 38 mph for side impact crashes, then the child is now in the least safe seating arrangement" is very problematic. You can not respnsibly follow the straight line logical thinking that Consumer Reports uses to come to this conclusion. We just dont know. Stated earlier, the "any car seat is better than no car seat" must apply here. As an industry, we know that a lack of performance requirements for side impact crashes is a problem. I have seen and done crash reconstruction involving side impact crashes with results that would lead some to NEVER transport their children in a car again. You don't often get to pick your crash. Even if the current performance requirements for car seats and cars do not align, use that car seat. Then, write your congress person and get NHTSA to adopt better crash performance requirements for car seats.
As with many safety topics, once they make the headlines, the process to address the "issue" often over shadows the real issue at hand. Knee-jerk reactions make horrible laws and we are burdened by many horrible laws for the sake of safety. When car seats made the transition from entertainment device to safety device, about 20 years ago, we did see an improvement in children's safety. Since the introduction of standardized safety instruction and the CPS Technician program, we have done a lot to improve safety of and the installation of car seats. We have a long way to go. Consumer Reports talks about installers. Car Seat Technicians are NOT installers or an installation service. The only car seat installers should be parents. Period. The assistants that installed the car seats for these test should be NHTSA Certified CPS Technicians or Technician/Instructors, not 'installers'. The information presented on the web site and in news media does not indicate the education level of the 'installers'. Only properly trained and certified persons should be conducting these tests. Consumers Union; please disclose the certification numbers of these individuals.
As for the rest of the world, Consumer Reports has a good article on European car seats, represented by England. In reality, they only scratch the surface. I have blogged on this, so I will forward you on to the article they have on their web site. Consumer Reports - A seat sold abroad outperforms U.S. models. In reality it is not fair to make direct comparisons of US and European car seats. Why? The legal, social and economic environments are very different. Sure it looks like we drive the same cars, but looks are where the similarity stops. Until Americans are willing to accept socialized medecine, accept responsibility for their own actions, look at safety over their own convenience, change their views on product liability, involve themselves more activly in legislation and recycle, we will continue to lag behind much of the developed world. Car seat manufacturers in this country give us what we want: inexpensive, functional products that meet the crash and safety performance requirements of the laws we are willing to accept. Period.
If we want more, it is usually nicer fabric coverings or more variety in color. We value choice, a free capitolist market, over safety. If safety was of more value to the average parent, I would not have the time to write this blog. I would be meeting with parents for car seat and safety education every available hour of the day. In the town of 100,000 in which I live, we are having a baby boom. With about 5 car seat technicians in the community, we meet with about 20% of all the parents who are delivering children. This does not include all the parents with children. 99 of 100 car seats I check is installed with some error. Are they life threatening errors? Depends on the crash the parents plan to have. Simple oversights can be killers in the wrong crash. Most errors are most likely to not be a life or death situation waiting to happen, but you NEVER know. I am not willing to take that chance. Are you?
Some other resources:
Safe Kids Metro Denver 1-5-07
Focus On Safety In and Around Cars
1 January 2007
Remember, the BEST car seat is the one that fits your child, fits your car and can be installed and used safely every time your child(ren) are in the car. Hang on, this year should be interesting. I expect I'll have a lot to say!
Bill Flinchbaugh is a NHTSA Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician/Instructor with over 30 years of safety research, product design, instruction and education experience. Views expressed are a combination of his own research, NHTSA curriculum, peer input, this education foundation (CCASAF.Org) work and lots of experience. The 2005 and 2006 blog entries will re-posted eventually. Lastly, this guy can talk, so becareful what you wish for and read with passion. |
