15 – Child Safety Seats: Are Yours Properly Installed?

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March 15, 2014 | Posted in Child Safety Seats, Podcast Episodes | By

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Jennifer Huebner-Davidson

Three out of 4 child safety seats are not properly installed.  Jennifer Huebner-Davidson, Manager of Traffic Safety for AAA and an expert on child safety seats, discusses some of the common mistakes and what you can do to make sure your child’s seat is properly installed.

Why Child Safety Seats?

Car and truck seat belts are designed for adults.  For the best protection, the lap belt should be low and snug across the hips and the shoulder portion must be snug across the chest, away from the neck and face.  For many adults, this is not a problem.  However, for young children, adult seat belts never fit properly.  With an incorrect fit, a child is at serious risk.  A child safety seat or booster seat remedy this problem.

Child safety seats are now an accepted feature when a child is in a car.  Organizations across the globe call for their use. The U.N. Decade of Action for Road Safety includes child safety seats as an important element in reducing the number of global road fatalities. Parents everywhere are purchasing them and understand the need to have them in the car.

Common Mistakes

The issue now is that many child seats are not properly installed.  A few common mistakes include:

  • Using the lower anchors and the car’s seat belts in combination to secure the child safety seat.
  • Not using a tether when indicated by the manual.
  • Placing a child safety seat in the center of the back seat using the lower anchors from the two outside seats.
  • Not considering the combined weight of the child and seat when using the anchor system.
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Be sure to have a Child Safety Seat Technician check your installation

Parents are obviously trying to install the seats properly, but mistakes are being made.  Some times it is an over abundance of caution creating an issue.  For example, using the lower anchors and the seat belt in combination to secure a child car seat would make you think that it is increasing the safety potential. However, there is no research that it is improves a child’s safety and there are concerns it could create problems. Seat belts and the lower anchor system are designed to work independently.

In this episode, Ms. Huebner-Davidson also provides guidance on the type of child car seat that should be used and when to change to a new car seat.  Ultimately, as she indicates, one should always first read the Child Safety Seat Instruction Manual and then the vehicle manual.

Proper Installation

Three tips for achieving a successful installation include:

  • Read the Child Safety Seat User Manual
  • Read your vehicle manual
  • Get the seat checked at a Car Seat Check Site

Getting an inspection at the car seat check site allows an expert to determine if the seat is properly installed. If it isn’t, the technician will show you what is incorrect and how to fix it so when you are on your own, you’ll have the knowledge and ability to install it correctly.  Click here to find the closest car seat check site to you.

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Remember that a booster seat is just as important.

Once your child is old enough and according to the user manual for the child safety seat, the next step is to move to a booster seat.  This will help the adult seat belt to properly fit your child.  Finally, when your child grows old enough to leave the booster seat behind, remember, they still need to wear a seat belt and ride in the back seat.

As your child grows, providing her or him as much protection as possible from injuries in a car crash requires three steps:

  1. Purchase the correct child safety seat
  2. Properly install it
  3. Use it

You have taken the time to purchase the seat and to install it – make sure to do that last step, and use it.  You never know about the driving skills of the person next to you, or if they may be texting while driving or driving impaired.  Remember, once you have installed the seat, it should be used Every Ride, Every Time.  Using these three steps can help ensure your child has the life he or she was meant to have.

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14 – Drowsy Driving: Take the Time to Sleep

March 1, 2014 | Posted in Drowsy Driving, Podcast Episodes | By

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“Anyone who is human and gets behind the wheel [of a car] should worry about it.”  NTSB Board Member Mark Rosekind speaking on drowsy driving.

Dr. Mark Rosekind, NTSB Board Member

Dr. Mark Rosekind, NTSB Board Member

“There will be sleep enough in the grave.” How many times have we heard someone say something similar, implying that he or she doesn’t need or have time for sleep?  Ben Franklin made that statement over 200 years ago and it is still used today, sometimes as a badge of honor.  In today’s culture, with many of us traveling in large and potentially deadly weapons on a road or highway, mixing the lack of sleep with driving is a deadly combination. However, there are practical steps each of us can take to avoid these dangers, with acknowledgement of the existence of drowsy driving being the first.

Dr. Mark Rosekind, Board Member of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and one of the world’s foremost human fatigue experts, examines the fallacy that we can put sleep off to a later time.  As human beings, we are hardwired for sleep. We have to breath, we have to eat, we have to drink, and we have to sleep. It is a biological requirement for our survival.  Starting with that premise, Dr. Rosekind discusses:

  • How much sleep we need
  • What happens when we don’t get a sufficient amount of sleep
  • How fatigue plays a role in drowsy driving, and
  • What we can do about driving and fatigue

Having a “Sleep Debt”

As we age the amount of sleep needed each night changes.  What many people do not understand is that teens actually need 9¼ hours of sleep, not the typical 8 hours mentioned.  What is especially concerning is that  in high school teenagers get on average 6½ hours of sleep.  They may think that they are 90 minutes short on sleep, but they are actually more than two hours below what is needed.  Adults need 7-9 hours or an average of 8 hours.  This is  true as we age and become senior citizens, although in our later years our sleep patterns are broken up.  We still need the 8 hour average, however, it is not as refreshing thus it is often harder to get a good night’s sleep. Many retirees enjoy a mid-day nap to help make up for the lost overnight sleep. This is why teens and senior citizens are considered higher risks for drowsy driving.

Drowsy Driving

Sleep is a human necessity.

When we don’t get sufficient sleep, we start to build up a “sleep debt.” One night of poor sleep, and our abilities are affected.  If we don’t get sufficient sleep a second night, the sleep debt increases. Go a third night, and it continues to accumulate.  Go three nights with 2 hours lack of sleep each night, and the sleep debt is up to 6 hours.  In a single night, losing 2 hours of sleep can result in a person acting as if they were at a .05 BrAC (Breath Alcohol Content).[1] With a sleep debt, our attention, reaction time and decision making are all significantly effected by as much as 20-50%. A slower reaction time or making a poor decision means not reacting to the brake lights in front of us or seeing the traffic light turning red. Falling asleep while driving can have devastating consequences.

Drowsy Driving’s Impact is Underestimated

How dangerous is drowsy driving?  There are estimates in the U.S. that annually we could be looking at a million or more crashes or near crashes – 20% of all crashes could be due to fatigue.  All the experts agree that the number of crashes and fatalities due to fatigue is underestimated.

According to the Automobile Association of America (AAA) two out of every five drivers (41.0%) reported having fallen asleep or nodding off while driving, and that one in four reported that they had fallen asleep between the hours of noon and 5 p.m.  Drowsy driving happens during the night and during the day.

Drowsy driving is a problem no matter where we live or travel.  Last year in India, a bus crashed, killing 45 people.  One media outlet reported that the driver admitting he dozed off while driving.  Pick any country, and you can find reports of drowsy driving.

Possible Solutions to Drowsy Driving?

Drowsy Driving

A nap can be very beneficial

Many of us, when we notice we are sleepy while driving, try to “fix” it by turning up the radio or opening the window, or biting a lip.  These “remedies” work for only about 10 minutes.  Caffeine can provide a short-term jolt, but even that is limited in time and needs to be taken before feeling tired since it requires time for us to feel the effects. Bottom line: We are still sleep deprived and we are still dangerous as we drive down the road.

The only real solution to drowsy driving is sleep, whether it is finding a safe place to stop and get a short nap, such as at a Rest Area or a good night’s sleep before leaving. 

3-Step Checklist Before Traveling

To be prepared for any drive, Dr. Rosekind provides a three-step checklist:

  1. Recognize that fatigue is a risk and ask:
    • Do you have a sleep debt from the last night or a combination of nights?
    • How long have you been awake at this point?
    • What is the time of day when the driving is occurring?
    • Do you have a sleep disorder?
  2. If fatigue is an issue, take a nap or get some caffeine.
  3. Be sensitive to the environment. Are you driving at night or on a monotonous road? Driving in these conditions can reveal your fatigue.

Individually, each of these steps can raise a red flag.  Combined, they ensure we consider what condition we are in, and whether we are safe to travel.  Reviewing this checklist can save lives.  In the meantime, get a good night’s sleep.

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[1] .08 BrAC is the level when a person is presumed to be under the influence of alcohol in the United States and some countries.  A majority of countries have .05 BrAC or lower as the illegal limit.

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