In preparation for the 2017 LATCH Manual*, SRN reviewed and updated the status of various aspects of retrofitting vehicles with tether anchors (TAs), leading to the following update report.
Retrofitting Tether Anchors
Still a Benefit to Child Safety
News
It’s Time to Think About Autonomous Vehicles
I’d have to have my head planted firmly in the sand if my initial skepticism about self-driving vehicles hasn’t budged over time. In a few short years, what has gone from bold predictions by certain tech giants has developed into mainstream acceptance. Target dates for various rollouts of autonomous vehicles seem right around the corner, rather than in some sci-fi future. In September, the DOT released safety guidelines for autonomous vehicle performance, including a model for state policies.
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Steps for Addressing the Use of Inflatable Seat Belts (ISBs) With CRs
ISBs have been an available option in the outboard seating position of some Ford and Lincoln vehicles for the past five years. Over that time, the number of Ford/Lincoln models with this option has grown (see current list, at bottom of page) and now includes both two- and three-row vehicles.
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Canada Weighs in Against Routine CR Screening of Preterm Infants
Based on a review of research related to the infant car seat challenge (ICSC), the Canadian Paediatric Society (CaPS, Canada’s version of the American Academy of Pediatrics, or AAP) has issued a revised position statement. It now says that insufficient evidence exists to recommend routine use of the ICSC as part of discharge procedures for preterm infants.
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Debate in the NICU Continues: What’s a CPST to Think When Doctors Disagree?
As readers know, I am not a doctor. Occasionally, though, as CPSTs we must consider certain medical conditions that influence the safety or children as vehicle passengers. Fortunately, there’s no need for CPSTs to hold a medical degree; simply follow the advice of doctors regarding the relevant symptoms of a diagnosis and how they might influence a child’s safety (either in a crash or during normal riding). To guide us, we are fortunate to have peer-reviewed scientific studies and policy statements from the medical community.
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Off-Road Vehicles Pose a Big Risk for Kids
SRN recently heard from Carma McKinnon, Idaho’s CPS coordinator located at Lemhi County Sheriff’s Department, regarding concerns over ATVs and UTVs. ATVs (all-terrain vehicles, aka quads) and UTVs (utility-task vehicles, aka side-by-sides, recreational off-road vehicles, or ROVs) are used by families across the country for both recreation and work purposes, but can be extremely dangerous to children.
McKinnon noted that ATVs and UTVs are very popular in her state, and this seems to be the case across the country, with the largest sales volumes found in rural areas, especially in the South and Midwest. Sales have grown substantially over the past 10 years. Based on data from the Motorcycle Industry Council and the Specialty Equipment Market Association, roughly 250,000 ATVs are sold in the U.S. each year. Sales of UTVs have been even hotter; this newer market entry has surpassed ATVs in sales, with around 400,000 currently sold per year. Sales of these vehicles fluctuate with the strength of the economy, so they may vary widely from year to year.
Nissan/Infiniti Issues Two Recalls Affecting Children
Nissan/Infiniti is recalling 3,177,645 cars in the U.S. due to continuing problems with the vehicles’ Occupant Protection Classification (OPC) software, which determines whether the front passenger air bag should deploy based on whether an occupant is present and that occupant’s size.
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Time to Ramp Up Heatstroke Prevention Efforts
Safe Kids provides a multitude of resources to assist local programs
On March 29, Safe Kids held its fifth annual Heatstroke Town Hall meeting. This meeting, which is meant to prepare partners for the Safe Kids’ awareness campaign launch on April 13, was recorded and is posted under Resources on the Safe Kids’ Online Speaker’s Bureau website.
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It’s 2016! Are You Still Using Locking Clips?
Editor’s Intro:
Although it may seem odd now, many in the CPS community were wary of switchable retractors when they first became available in the late 1990s. After relying on locking clips (pictured left) for so many years, some installations just seemed tighter using them.
I remember being scolded by our certification course instructor during hands-on practice for using a locking clip in a situation that could have been handled using the vehicle’s switchable belt. I explained that I’d tried to use the switchable belt, but the installation was even tighter using the tried-and-true locking-clip approach. But the instructor was unimpressed with my argument and taught me an important lesson: When picking between an installation approach that improves tightness only marginally and an approach that is vastly easier for the caregiver to replicate, one should choose the latter because it empowers the caregiver.
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Study Finds CR/Vehicle Mismatch Prevalent
In October, a study was published that predicted that 42 percent of the time, vehicles and CRs are somehow incompatible. The study, “Investigation of Child Restraint System Compatibility in the Vehicle Seat Environment,” by Ohio State College of Medicine’s Injury Biomechanics Research Center, used measurements of 59 current CRs and 61 late model vehicles to evaluate over 3,599 possible CR/vehicle combinations and predict likely incompatibilities. To validate the results, researchers conducted physical installations of 34 of the scenarios.