"Londonderry Woman Helps Spread Child Car Seat Safety"
by Sean Joncas
Laura Bower started out viewing a poplar car seat safety video posted on YouTube simply because she was a concerned mother.
The video told the story of Kyle David Miller, a 3-year-old from Texas killed in May 2005 after his seatbelt failed in a collision caused by an elderly driver running a red light. While his parents and sister, the latter seated in a booster seat, survived, Kyle was ejected from the vehicle while still in his seat and died on impact.
Bower was deeply moved by the video. Through a collage of photographs, the Miller family tells the story of the collision and how their son could have been saved, had he been seated in a five-point harness.
"I saw this video and being a parent myself, it struck me on an emotional level," said Bower. "I contacted the family to see if there was anything I could do get the word out there."
Christine Miller, Kyle's mother, told Bower about a foundation she was trying to start. Since then, Bower has been working as a volunteer for the Kyle David Miller Foundation. The non-profit organization is focused on raising awareness of parents everywhere about car seat safety.
She cited statistics showed upward of 90 percent of all car seats are used incorrectly. The organization has also begin donating five-point harness seats to families in need across the country. Their cause has received more attention than they had ever expected, as the YouTube video has received nearly 2 million plays to date.
The foundation has donated 90 car seats across America. Bower said she expects to receive a large shipment of the harnesses at her Londonderry home in June. She plans to store them in her garage until they can be shipped to families who have been approved for receiving one.
"We're not trying to replace anything," said Bower. "With the popularity of the YouTube video, we're trying to capture that attention to communicate as many safety messages as possible." The largest factor for starting the harness donation mission was the higher cost of this type of carseat.
"You're talking about $280 to buy one of these seats in the stores," said Bower. "A booster seat can be had for about $40. Do the math."
Since the video hit the internet, manufacturers of the harnesses are up to a year behind in production as they struggle to keep up with consumer demand.
The advantages of using the harness are basic. As opposed to passing a seatbelt strap behind the head or sitting in a seatbelt-fastened booster seat, a child is secured at several points so that in the event of a collision, the child will not move from the seat. The harnesses are best for children between the ages of 2 and 3. [Note that the reporter has been corrected on this point - five-point harnessed seats are the safest option for ALL children so long as they fit the seat via weight and height.]
Bower said spreading information about keeping children rear-facing up to age 5 is also crucial to their safety. [Again, reported corrected on this - keep children rear-facing to the weight limit of your convertible car seat - 30-35lbs- or until their head is within one inch of the top of the back of the seat.] She also recommended parents keep children seated in the back seat of cars until the age of 12.
In order to continue educating parents and assisting others in need, Bower said donations are needed.
On a local level, residents of Londonderry are encouraged to contact police dispatch at 432-1118 and ask for the car seat line or e-mail the car seat program directly at cps@londonderrynh.org. Technicians are available to provide safety advice or perform inspections. Scheduled inspections dates occur the second Saturday of every month. Derry residents are encouraged to contact the Derry Police Department at 432-6111.
For more information on proper car seat use and types of five-point harnesses available, visit www.kyledavidmiller.org.
