As CPSTs know, following CR instructions is essential. A few other considerations are equally important, including following the vehicle instructions and addressing the safety needs of all passengers. Whenever CR instructions intersect with these other considerations, CPSTs must carefully consider all aspects when advising caregivers. “Seatback touching” is such a situation, so this article looks at some of the related considerations.
Read More from “A Deeper Dive: Rear-Facing CRs Touching Seatbacks in Front of Them”Topic: Using Car Seats, Booster Seats, and Seat Belts
Using car seats, boosters, and set belts for children of all ages.
What to Know About Under-CR Mats and Towels
A caregiver recently emailed SRN the following question:
Now that our kiddo can walk, I am thinking about buying one of those seat mats for our car to protect the upholstery from muddy shoes. I’ve seen friends use them, but are they safe?
CPSTs: Gear Up to Explain Why Coats and CRs Don’t Mix
Adapted from a SRN article published in Fall 2020
As CPSTs know, the transition to winter wear presents an annual challenge to properly using CR harnesses.
Read More from “CPSTs: Gear Up to Explain Why Coats and CRs Don’t Mix”Checking for Recalls? Don’t Forget the Vehicle
In recent years, recalls directly related to CPS have been more common among vehicles than CRs. And, since all recalls are safety-related, any vehicle recall (including the vastly greater number that are not specifically about CPS) can indirectly harm child passengers. So, the fact that NHTSA says over 50 million vehicles on the road have one or more open recalls is a serious safety concern.
Read More from “Checking for Recalls? Don’t Forget the Vehicle”Ask Katrina: Sometimes, Finding Information for Using CRs in Pickup Trucks Is Half the Battle
In this regular column, SRN shares vehicle-related information from Katrina Rose, SRN collaborator and vehicle liaison for the LATCH Manual. For the March/April 2023 issue, Katrina shared answers to some questions posed by technicians regarding pickup trucks.
Because pickup trucks are very popular while at the same time often challenging for CR use, SRN focuses special attention on understanding them so we can provide helpful guidance in our publications, such as the LATCH Manual.
Read More from “Ask Katrina: Sometimes, Finding Information for Using CRs in Pickup Trucks Is Half the Battle”“Ask Katrina” Column
Regular column will highlight vehicle-specific tips from SRN’s vehicle specialist
In a new column, “Ask Katrina,” SRN will share vehicle-related CPS information from Katrina Rose, SRN collaborator and vehicle liaison for the LATCH Manual. Katrina regularly fields questions posed by technicians in the field, so this column will provide an opportunity to share her answers and insights with all SRN readers.
We’ll kick off the column with a fundamental question:
Read More from ““Ask Katrina” Column”The Truth About “True” Lock-Offs
A few years ago, SRN reported on an emerging phenomenon: CRs with features that looked and acted like lock-offs but weren’t.
Since then, these features have become more common. Nowadays, CPSTs who see anything that looks like a lock-off ask, “Is that a true lock-off?” While a mechanism that functions as a lock-off must be a “true,” authentic lock-off, “true lock-off” has become part of the CPST vernacular when wondering whether a CR part that appears to be a lock-off actually is one.
Read More from “The Truth About “True” Lock-Offs”Lock-Offs and Their Look-Alikes
It’s important for CPSTs to understand what is (and isn’t) a lock-off
Until 1996, CR installation with a lap-shoulder belt nearly always required using a locking clip to hold the belt tight. This was often difficult (or altogether overlooked), so it was a relief when other solutions came along.
Read More from “Lock-Offs and Their Look-Alikes”Do You Know These Tech Terms: Soft Lock and Dead Zone?
An article in the last issue of SRN focused on how to read an owner’s manual to learn whether a CR feature is a lock-off or not. In response to reader comments and questions, as well as recent recalls, this article builds on that coverage to look at related issues: the concepts of soft locking and dead zones.
Read More from “Do You Know These Tech Terms: Soft Lock and Dead Zone?”
Why Dorel Plans a Move Away from Gravity-Based Indicators
For Indiana’s virtual CPS conference in June, Darrin Keiser, senior director of operational quality at Dorel Juvenile Products, gave a presentation that described why concerns about the limitations of gravity-based recline indicators have prompted Dorel to plan to shift away from using them on future models. Read More from “Why Dorel Plans a Move Away from Gravity-Based Indicators”