Car Seats

I've gotten a lot of flack over the years about my position on car seat safety. Most people I know think that I am nuts. I don't think people understand the forces that are really involved in a crash and that car seats aren't magic. They are like any other device that needs to be used properly to be affective.

Watch the video below. See how much the kid moves in the very first test? That is only at 40mph and the seat is locked down tight. It still moved a ton, and that is PROPERLY installed. Imagine if that seat was very loose at all...



The next video is a good slow motion shot of what actually happens in a crash. Look at how much movement there is!!! This is a video touting the benefits of rear facing seats. I'm not even going that far but I think this proves my point about car seat installation.



In reading the comments below the video, this one caught my eye.

"Also, seat belts stretch in an accident because of the forces put on them. That's why it's important to have no more than one inch of movement in a child's carseat at the beltpath. This video shows the kind of reaction the body/carseat have when properly installed. If the harness was too loose, the child could slip right out during a crash and if the seatbelt holding the carseat was too lose the child would likely strike parts of the interior of the car."

So I'm hoping that this opens people's eyes a bit to what can really happen in a crash. It is crucially important that car seats be installed properly and safely. Yes many people don't do it and never have a problem, but in my opinion it is only because they were lucky enough never to get in a crash.

And I'm not saying that I'm the foremost authority on proper installation, but you should read and follow the guidelines for your seat and if it says no more than an inch of movement side to side, THEY MEAN IT! The force you can apply is NOTHING compared to the forces involved in a crash.