It’s mid-July and we're in the midst of summer vacation season which, for many, means road trips. But before you hit the road, put the luggage in the trunk, and your most valuable cargo on the inside of the car, perhaps it's time to talk for a minute on the subject of child car seat safety.
While this column does not deal directly with promotional products, the issue is so important that I felt compelled to write about it.
First, some National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics to underline the importance:
• Child safety seats can reduce fatal injury by 71 percent in infants, and by 54 percent for toddlers ages 1-4.
• Seven out of 10 child safety seats are improperly installed, putting a child at increased risk for injury in a crash.
• Booster seat use reduces the risk for serious injury by 45 percent for children ages four to eight, compared with seat belt use alone.
• For older children and adults, seat belt use cuts the risk for death and serious injury in half.
• Vehicle deaths are the leading cause of death for children between the ages of 3 and 14.
Pretty sobering facts, aren't they? So, it’s not just about using car seats, but using them PROPERLY, that’s important. A child should be belted into a car seat from the moment a baby goes home from the hospital until he or she grows into adult seat belts, around the age of seven or eight. Every state requires that kids up to four years old ride in car seats, and most require booster seats for older children. Federal law has mandated the LATCH system, (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) since 2002, so that car seats can be mounted and used properly. Installed correctly, the car seat attaches in two places, first to the anchors in the fold of the seats, and then to anchors either on the seat back, in the floor, the cargo area or ceiling. If you're not quite sure on proper installation procedure, this video from babycenter.com walks you through the right way to do it.
Now that you know HOW to install it, how can you be sure you have the right car seat to begin with? Convertible, All-In-One, Toddler Booster – there is a wide array of seats from which to choose. According to Consumer Reports, the Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Seat is the top-rated overall seat, balancing safety, fit, and ease of installation, but Parenting.com also offers 9 additional choices in its Top Ten Car Seats listing.
So, now you know the right seat to buy, and the right way to install it, but are you putting it in the RIGHT CAR? The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety finds that, unfortunately, there are actually very few vehicles in which to install car seats easily. Focusing on the LATCH system, the IIHS studied 102 vehicles, and only the BMW 5-series, Mercedes GL-class, and Volkswagen Passat earned the highest rating. Driving the Toyota Sienna as your "Mommy Van"? Perhaps you shouldn't automatically assume it is safe. The IIHS gave it the worst rating in its study, noting the seat anchors were buried too deep in the gap at the bottom of the seat back. The Insurance Institute’s website has ratings for the balance of the 102 vehicles rated – 44 are acceptable, 45 are marginal, and 10 are poor.
So, there you have it. You now know the right child safety seat to purchase, the right way to install it, and the right car to put it into. There’s just one last thing I hope you’ll do this summer, and all year, for that matter. Please remember to buckle up. Your life, and that of your loved ones, may just depend on it.
Jeff Jacobs has been an expert in building brands and brand stewardship for more than 30 years. He’s a staunch advocate of consumer product safety and has a deep passion and belief regarding the issues surrounding compliance and corporate social responsibility. He is the executive director of Quality Certification Alliance, the industry’s only non-profit dedicated to helping suppliers provide safe and compliant products. When he's not working, you can find him traveling the world with his lovely wife, working as a volunteer Guardian ad Litem, or sometimes even enjoying a cigar at his favorite local cigar shop. Follow Jeff on Twitter, or reach out to him at jeff@qcalliance.org.