THSCC Forums

Mike and Donnie both bring up very good points and I agree with some, if not all, of what they both said.
My point was that even though this family thought they were doing the right thing by having their kid in a booster, it still wasn't enough. Could any other kind of seat changed the outcome? Not if they were using the car SEATBELT in this case.
However, I agree with Malia in the fact that there are way too many people that don't use carseats at all. I just thought it might make everyone take stock of how their kids are restrained in their seats.
Graham,
At Wake Med (Raleigh), we check every carseat, adjust it to fit every newborn and make certain it is installed in the cars properly prior to discharging the mother and baby. The Children's ED also replaces or makes certain the families replace (prior to discharge) any child safety seat that is involved in an accident. We (nurses and nursing assistants) also participate in the carseat check points that are set-up by the Highway Patrol and the hospital.
I'll have to quote a friend of mine in saying:"This is a VERY moving story and video. However, at 3 years old, the child should not have been in a booster seat - regardless of weight. That is a mistake I see all too often. And people are VERY HOT to get their kids out of car seats because they are a "pain". I'd rather deal with that pain than the pain of not having my child."
She is one of our few nationally carseat certified nurses on staff. She had to go through a five day training course that included gory details of what can happen. Things as simple as mom left the kids puffy jacket on under the five point harness and the child was ejected from the seat in an accident, or the straps were too loose on a newborn because the parents were afraid it was going to hurt the child.

Rebecca, agreed on all counts. I love that both my kids won't let *adults* get away without putting on seatbelts when we go somewhere. Letting your kids out on public roads without at least *attempting* to get them properly belted in is tantamount to child neglect, IMHO.


--Donnie

When I was little, my dad used to pickup my 10 year old sister, my 7 year old sister and I (at 4 yrs old) in his '71 Corvette. Yup, the sisters were 2 deep in the passenger seat and I got to ride the center console. Seatbelts? Nah.

Boy, times have changed. - AB

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'14 Toyota Sequoia Platinum 4WD
Super Westerfield Bros - '93 Integra - LeChump Du Jour
STX 93 - Scion FR-S

I rode my bike to and from school starting in the 7th grade...all by myself. The trip was about 5 miles each way and I never had a helmet.

Oh, did I mention I was hit by a car (on my bike) on my 6th birthday? Pedestrians do NOT have the right of way! The biggest object always has the ROW IMO.

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Vincent Keene
'06 Ford Mustang GT (track rat)
'15 Dodge Charger R/T (yeah, it's got a HEMI!)
'07 Ford Fusion SE (205,000 miles and counting)
'98 Chevy Z-24 (retired)
'93 Acura Integra (Team SWB 24HOL Car)

I can remember going to the store with my grandfather to buy *more* beer in his '62 Chevy pickup when I was so small I could stand up on the bench seat beside him, my hand on his shoulder, and still see out the windshield easily.

Seriously.


--Donnie

And you aren't dead, how could this be?

I think I spent the better part of my early years in the small cargo area behind the back seat of my Mom's '74 VW Beetle!!
I know she used to leave me in there if I feel asleep on the way home from the grocery store, etc!!!!

When I was a kid there were three of us across the back seat of a '64 Corvair. It did not have back seatbelts. My brother used to climb up on the parcel shelf at the back window. Dad could not reach him there. I don't think Dad's Mk1 Sunbeam Tiger had belts either.

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George Bright Member # 141
One of the youngest of the old farts.
Yes I voted against you joining the club.

Just a note....my brother-in-law has been a fireman at a few of the local fire stations (Morrisville, Apex, etc...). I think they all offer Child Seat installation/inspection services.

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Stephen Westerfield
2009 Infiniti M35 | 2007 Honda Fit Sport | 2005 Ford Mustang GT |2000 GMC Sierra |1992 Acura Integra LS | Super Westerfield Bros Acura Integra

While we're on this topic, does anyone have any car seats they want to sell? Gently used and relatively recent, please Especially looking for an extra Graco infant seat and base, as well as another toddler seat.

Too many cars + an extra kid on the way

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Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

When we were kids I used to wear my seatbelt and my mom didn't. That did not stop her from using the arm slam into chest if she had to stop fast to keep me from flying through the window.

Does this look like anyone's child we know?



Blatant hijack attempt.

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George Bright Member # 141
One of the youngest of the old farts.
Yes I voted against you joining the club.

Bowie Senior's kid?

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Has no responsibility whatsoever.

I happened to catch this on the news last night so I thought I'd post this update on the thread.

ABC - Popular Infant Car Seat Fail Tests

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?secti ... id=4908127

Consumer Reports - Safety Alert - Infant Car Seats

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/babi ... ats_ov.htm

It also covers the ongoing LATCH issues.

Unfortunately to read their report on the better seats you have to subscribe. But they did at least offer the consumer alert at no charge.

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http://www.greywinds.com

I saw that too Graham. It's is really sad that the government doesn't see the need to test car seats at the same speeds as regular crash tests. It isn't like you are going to hit at a lower speed just because you have a car seat installed.

As for the LATCH system, it is really good for those who know how to use it. Unfortunately, like with the conventional system, people just don't install their seats correctly and like all systems, it can fail at anytime.

There was a similar system, made by Recaro I think, that used hard mounting points and hard connections on the seat. The car seat really became part of the car. Unfortunately, it would be VERY expensive to make car seats specific to each car and the seat would only be able to be used on a car so equiped.

The test footage is pretty scarry.

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Todd Breakey
STS 42 - 1992 Sunburst Miata
Dammit!
"You souldn't play leap frog with a porcupine. You might get hurt." - Eliza