SAFETY SQUAD: Empowing Your Family

30 lb booster seats: It's time for a change

The booster issue is fraught with mixed & conflicting messages. Not only do different parties have different messages, but often one party will contradict itself (see our previous booster post). One inconsistency makes us cringe: Lower-weight booster seats. While most agencies and organizations are pushing for parents to keep their children in higher-weight 5-point harnesses, the manufacturers of booster seats are promoting booster seat use starting at thirty pounds.  This is not new, but it needed to be said. Why are parents still being given this message?

Recaro Como Announcement: Part Two, Commentary

Over the last year, we have become increasingly disturbed by the conduct of car seat manufacturers when faced with a possible recall. On the 20th of December, Recaro North America issued a "Consumer Advisory" for the Recaro Como child seat. We are amazed at how poorly they have addressed the issue.

Back Story: Recaro provides robust construction, side-impact protection and style. You pay for those features, but what you get when properly installed, is a safe seat. They have some downsides, but in general, they have a good product and good reputation. That they may have to issue a recall is not a shocker. Every manufacturer eventually has recalls. When handled well they improve the brand, not hurt it.

The following references seatbelt installations not LATCH installations. If you are using LATCH you should not be concerned about the "lock-off" issue being addressed. 

Safety Squad works with all types of seats and installations. It's not uncommon for us to install one seat four or more different ways in one vehicle to find the best position. We deal with lock-offs every day and often call manufacturers when something is unclear; if we don't understand...then parents definitely won't. Car seat makers installed lock-offs on seats as a supplement or alternative to locking devices built into vehicles (locking retractors, locking latch plates, etc). Many of the errors parents make when installing seats with seatbelts can be related to locking difficulties. So, car seat makers added lock-offs to make it easier. When a lock-off is used instead of a switchable retractor or latch plate and the lock-off fails the seat will loosen.

LATCH Error: Kids over 48lbs. using LATCH

If you have jumped on the higher-weight 5-point harness band wagon, GREAT! You rock. But don't think you are problem-free. If you're using LATCH, check your car seat manual and vehicle manual to check the weight limit for the LATCH anchors. Usually, your seat will only allow LATCH forward-facing to 48 lbs. Some vehicle manufacturers have lower weight limits. Once you reach those limits you must switch to lap & shoulder belt. Check for instructions on tether use and visit your local CPS tech to get some help.

4 Years & 40 Pounds: Fact or Fiction?

A couple of months ago, I had a conversation with an official about the "4 year & 40lbs" rule. This is the  phrase used to indicate when children can move to boosters from a 5-point harness. We had heard it many times, in many ways, by many people. The reason I asked was that we had never seen it written anywhere. I'm sure it's written somewhere, maybe in an old edition of some book, but is it a message that should be repeated?

In the current climate, it doesn't make any sense. While techs and reps are encouraging higher weight forward-facing seats, they are also telling parents not to move into boosters until "at least 4 years & 40lbs". Isn't that the age and weight we find so many poorly fitted children?

The recent ABC Story on the benefit of higher-capacity forward-facing seats, which was well done, mentioned this common, but misleading phrase too. Where did they get that information?

Why not say, "5 & 50" or "6 & 60" before moving to booster seat? "5 & 55" has a nice ring too. Any one of these would make more sense and be more consistent with the current message to stay in a 5-point harness longer.

Car Seat Milestones: No Need to Rush

According to Webster's Dictionary, a milestone is “a significant point in development.”  That development can be career-based, emotional, educational,  spiritual, or one of many other categories.

When it comes to car seats though, physical milestones are the type often rushed.  I heard again this past weekend, “My baby’s a year old now and 20 pounds so he needs to be forward-facing.”  No, he doesn’t, one year and 20 pounds is a minimum. 

The seat in question had a 35lb. rear-facing weight limit, but the parent insisted that the child had to be turned forward-facing.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends four steps for kids:

• Rear-facing seats:  For the best possible protection keep infants in the back seat, in rear-facing child safety seats, as long as possible up to the height or weight limit of the particular seat. At a minimum, keep infants rear-facing until a minimum of age 1 and at least 20 pounds.
• Forward-facing seats:  When children outgrow their rear-facing seats (at a minimum age 1 and at least 20 pounds) they should ride in forward-facing child safety seats, in the back seat, until they reach the upper weight or height limit of the particular seat.
• Booster Seats:  Once children outgrow their forward-facing seats, they should ride in booster seats, in the back seat, until the vehicle seat belts fit properly.  Seat belts fit properly when the lap belt lays across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits across the chest (usually at age 8 or when they are 4’9” tall).
• Seat belts:  When children outgrow their booster seats, (usually at age 8 or when they are 4’9” tall) they can use the adult seat belt in the back seat, if it fits properly (lap belt lays across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits across the chest).

Each of these four steps is a milestone in a child’s development, but it can also mean diminished safety if that milestone is rushed.  Keep your kids in each of the four steps as long as possible and don’t rush to the next one.  Treat it as a marathon from birth to adult seat belts, not as a series of sprints from one milestone to the next.

Britney Spears and Car Seats

Britney Spears has been flamed in the media again. A few days ago, photos of Britney's not yet, 1 year old son Jayden, began circulating on the internet. Pictures show her younger boy forward-facing in his car seat. A shocked and chagrined public took this opportunity to engage, yet again, in the national pastime of criticizing Britney's parenting skills.  But, before the Britney bashing reaches a fiery crescendo consider this.

96% of parents nationally think their child's car seat is installed correctly. The reality is that 82% have it installed wrong.

Should Britney have her younger baby's car seat installed rear-facing? Absolutely. Here are the rules.  However, most parents in this country have their children's seats installed incorrectly too. It's a problem we all share, whether we're celebrities or not.

And Britney, Safety Squad is in Vegas this weekend.  Give us a buzz after the MTV awards let out and we'll give you a hand with Jayden and Sean's car seats.

Is it time to go forward-facing? Read this first.

Determining the appropriate time to move baby from a rear-facing to a forward-facing installation can be confusing for parents.  There are specific requirements governing when this can occur.  Your baby must be BOTH 1 year old and 20 pounds before they can turn be turned forward. However, the safest thing a parent can do is keep their child rear-facing in a convertible seat until the maximum weight that the seat allows for rear-facing. For most convertible seats this is around 30-35 pounds.

Here are three common myths we hear from parents.  We've explained why each is wrong and what a parent should do.

MYTH: "My baby is too tall for her current seat.  Her feet touch the back of the vehicle seat.  She is ready to turn around in a new car seat."

FACT: Your baby's feet touching the vehicle's rear seat back is not an indication that your baby is too tall for her current car seat. Your baby's legs may look uncomfortable touching the rear seat, but their bodies are much more flexible than adults.   The key concern is that the car seat protect their developing spine, neck and back while supporting their airway as they develop. This is accomplished with a rear-facing installation. 

A baby is probably too tall for a seat if her head is less than 1 inch from the top of the seat. Check with the car seat manufacturer's instructions to check the exact height limit for your baby's seat. But remember that this fact does not mean it's time to turn around.   

MYTH: "My baby is 1 year old and 18 pounds. I should buy a new seat and turn him forward-facing."

FACT: Remember, the rule is 1 year and 20 pounds before a parent should consider turning him around. You could actually keep your current car seat until your baby reaches the weight limit for his infant seat. This is around 22 pounds on many models.  You could buy a new convertible seat if you wanted. However, you must keep him rear-facing until at least 20 pounds. Additionally, keeping him rear-facing until the seat's rear-facing maximum is still the safest choice.

MYTH: "My 10 month old is 23 pounds.  My infant only seat's max weight is 22 pounds.  I need to buy a new seat and turn her around." 

FACT: You are right it is time to buy a new seat.  But, make sure the new seat is a convertible that will accommodate her until she is the proper age to turn around.  And remember your baby is the safest when she stays rear facing until the maximum rear-facing weight of her new seat.

Hopefully, this entry has helped clear up some confusion. It's short for simplicity's sake.  Please post if you would like to hear about something in more detail. We also invite readers to post their questions about moving from rear-facing to forward-facing.  Actually, that goes for any material on this site. The more scenarios we can discuss here the more likely we are to address a parent's specific concern.