Car Seat Safety: 5-point Harness is Safest
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When used correctly, 5-point harness car seats provide significant safety advantages over securing your child in a booster seat using the adult seatbelt.
* The crash forces are spread over the skeletal body
over five points rather than three.
* The crash forces are spread to the strongest parts
of the child's body.
* Forward head excursion (the distance the head is
thrown forward) are lessened.
* The child is secured in the correct seating position rather
than being able to wiggle around, lean forward etc.
Car Seat Safety: Rear-facing is safest
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When used correctly, rear-facing car seats provide significant safety advantages in frontal, frontal offset and side impacts. Frontal/frontal offset and side impacts occur most frequently, account for the majority of fatalities in accidents and are typically far more severe than rear impacts which in comparison account for a very small percentage of fatalities in accidents.
The forces for a forward-facing child in a frontal crash differ quite significantly to that of a rear-facing child:
** The rear-facing child has the frontal crash forces spread over their back, head and neck (a large portion of the body) in an accident. The rear-facing child is also supported by the back of the car seat meaning there is little stretching of the neck.
** The forward-facing child's torso is restrained by their harness straps. The head of the child however is restrained by nothing and thrusts violently forward, which places them at risk of serious spinal cord injury or even worse, death.
Rear-facing child restraints also offer significant safety advantages in side and frontal offset impacts. When rear-facing in a side-on or frontal offset impact, the head of the child is better kept within the confines of the seat and can reap the benefits of the restraints side wings for protection.
Car Seat Safety: Recommendations and General Tips
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Each of the 50 states have laws regarding buckling up a child, however laws regarding car safety seats are up to the discretion of each states and can vary widely. According to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, almost half of the states fail when it comes to their laws on safety seats. Their study in February 2001 revealed shocking deficiencies from gaps in coverage to insufficient penalties for violations. There have been improvements since this study, but there is still a long way to go.
Car Seat Safety: Video of how to install Regent and Radian car seats
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Extended Harnessing Options - Australia & New Zealand Only
Why Practice "Extended Harnessing"?
Far too many children are moved in to booster seats or adult belts (with no booster) far before they are mature enough to. Maturity means behaviour wise (can they sit still for the whole journey, do they misbehave and put the shoulder belt behind their backs?) and physically i.e. height and weight.
Top 3 reasons kids go in to a booster (when they really shouldn't):
Their younger sibling needs their harnessed car seat
Their peers are in booster seats
Need to replace their old seat due to age of seat/returning a loan seat and need a cheap replacement
HALO - Baby Seat Safety System
Inertial Release - Seat Belt Buckles - Page 1
List of resources on Interial Unlatching/Release:
Inertial Release - Seat Belt Buckles - Page 2
Defective Seatbelt and Restraint System Cases
In an interview with Ward Lucas of Denver's 9news Jim Gilbert shared his opinion on the issues in the investigation into race legend Dale Earnhardt's tragic death.
As a racing enthusiast and attorney deeply involved in accident investigation, he believes a full faced helmet could have prevented the fatal injuries caused by the failure of a safety harness.
Earnhardt's son was in a similar accident a week after his father's and survived because his belt did not fail. Jim discounted a report by an investigator appointed by a Florida court that these safety features did not contribute to Earnhardt's fatal injuries.
"What does the public take away from this? That seatbealts don't make a difference? They do, they make a tremendous difference." Jim Gilbert
Our Recommended Car Seats
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Please note that the Kyle David Miller Foundation is an independent non-profit organziation and has no affiliations to any car seat manufacturer.
On the following pages we will list the car seats that our foundation recommends for extended 5-point harnessing. There are currently the ONLY TWO car seats on the market that have the ability to harness to 80lbs. If you do not own either of these car seats, but think that your seat harnesses to a high weight limit, please check your car seat manual carefully! Most convertible booster seats require that the 5-point harness is removed at 40lbs and that you use the seat belt thereafter, thus converting your seat to a belt positioning booster seat.
Please note that if you purchase your Britax from Ebay, your warranty will be void. Please only purchase your Britax from an authorized Britax retail outlet.
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