Phoenix Suns Guard Jason Richardson was suspended without pay by the Suns after being jailed Sunday night for driving recklessly with his 3-year-old son unrestrained in the back seat.

He was booked on counts or endangerment, reckless driving, failure to use a child seat and excessive speed.

“I just want to apologize to everybody, teammates, my family, especially my fiancee,” Richardson said. “This is a tough time for me. I’ve been questioned as a basketball player, questioned as a person, but my fatherhood in question is tough, because I try to be the best father I can be and try to keep my kids out of harm’s way.”

Scottsdale police clocked Richardson, 27, traveling at 67 mph in a 40-mph zone. He then reached a speed of 90 mph in a 35-mph zone.

When he was pulled over the Suns player admitted he was speeding. That’s when the officer noticed that his son was not in a child seat in the back seat. He told the officer they were returning from dinner to his Paradise Valley home.

No impaired driving was suspected by police.

Richardson’s fiancee picked up their son, but he remained in jail for a few hours.

I am speechless…I would never dream of driving to the end of t he street without my son buckled into the best car seat I could find. Some people just don’t get it.

SOURCE via GYB reader Lisa F. Thank you!

A 10-month-old baby boy died at his home Sunday after he stopped breathing while sleeping in a car seat.

The baby was being looked after by his aunt and uncle when the couple realized that they didn’t have any more cribs for him to sleep in. They have three children of their own, two sons (7 and 3 months) and a daughter, 1.

At that point they called his mom to come pick him up, but she was unavailable. She phoned later on that night and said she left more diapers outside the door and that she would see them in the morning.

After having a had a hard time calming him down, they let him sleep in his infant car seat.

Austin Point, the uncle, said that everyone finally went to sleep, but when they woke the baby wasn’t breathing. A study we posted a few years ago found that the upright sleeping position puts infants at risk of obstructing their airways, which could endanger their lives.

They looked at nine infants who suffered ‘life threatening events’ while strapped into a car seat where they were left asleep outside the car.

The children were described as “blue”, “scrunched up” and “not breathing”.

Reconstruction of the events using the baby’s own car seat found their heads were bent forward with the jaw pressed down on the chest, which narrowed the airway and caused breathing problems.

Paediatrician Professor Alistair Gunn, who did the study with colleagues at the Auckland Cot Monitoring Service, said car safety seats were essential to protect children from injury or death in an accident.

But they were not meant to be used as a substitute for a cot or bed when the children were not being transported around, he said.

SOURCE

If the harness straps are repeatedly loosened one strap at a time, then one or both harness straps may become detached from the metal yoke located on the back of the child seat. If the harness straps becomes loose or detached then the condition can be corrected by inspecting the back of the child seat and reattaching the harness straps.

If this condition occurs, the child may not be properly restrained, and in the event of a vehicle crash there could be an increased risk of injury.

To address this issue, Britax will provide two rubber caps that can be easily placed on the yoke slots to prevent the harness straps from detaching. The rubber caps have been specifically designed for the Frontier yoke to provide a secure fit and have been tested to verify their effectiveness.

No later than Jan. 7, 2009, the rubber caps will be mailed with an instruction sheet to all registered Frontier child restraint owners with manufacturing dates prior to Sept. 15 or 18, 2008. Consumers can register their restraints by clicking here: Britax Frontier Recall.

Until consumers receive their remedy kit, they should confirm that their harness system is properly attached to the metal yoke and they may continue to safely use their child restraint.

We like their seats because they are not only comfortable, but they exceed most of their competition in forward-facing weight capacity.

Even though we have only had our Boulevard CS for a short time, there are already many things that we love about it.

Installation: This seat installs the same as Britax’s other seats, with either the LATCH cables located under the seat, the lap/shoulder belt or just the lap belt. From start to finish – it took my husband less than five minutes to put this seat in.

Getting started: Out of the box, this seat is ready to go. Before we installed the seat into my SUV, I had my toddler get in for a fitting.

I normally do this before we put the seat in the vehicle because there is usually an adjustment that you need to do on the backside of the seat to adjust the harness and once it is installed you no longer have access to this area.

This seat features 2 headrest adjustment knobs (one on each side) that allow parents to adjust a harness yoke on the back of the seat. Gone are the days of feeding the harness through a panel of slots. These adjustment knobs were sent from heaven. They are not only easy to use, but they allow parents the ability to be precise when adjusting the harness.

Safety Features: The biggest feature on this seat is the Click & Safe™ (CS) feature. It is an audible aide that helps determine when the harness is secure by clicking when the harness straps are snug.

The True Side Impact Protection™ with deep side walls and head support provides advanced protection in side impact collisions. During a crash, TSIP distributes crash forces, shields the child from vehicle intrusion, contains the child’s head and body, and “trues” the head to minimize lateral head, neck & spine movement.

Size: Britax car seats are known for their bigger, more robust size and this seat is no different. While it appeared to be much bigger than our Marathon, it turns out that they are virtually the same size, with a small differences.

The Boulevard CS is 2.5lbs heavier.

The additional weight is probably due to the body pillow, side impact protected headrest and the mechanism that controls the feeding harness. Three things that are worth the 2lbs!

Britax’s car seats will cost you more, but they are worth every penny.

The fabrics are soft and classy, with fun custom covers offered for kids who want a seat with a bit of personality.

Because my son is so small, he will probably fit into this seat until it is time for him to sit independently with no harness. A normal child would more than likely fit until they were probably 5 or older.

For more information, please visit Britax.com

The Institute, which conducts crash tests of new vehicles, did not recommend: Compass B505, Compass B510, Cosco/Dorel Traveler, Evenflo Big Kid Confidence, Safety Angel Ride Ryte, Cosco/Dorel Alpha Omega, Cosco/Dorel (Eddie Bauer) Summit, Cosco Highback Booster, Dorel/Safety 1st (Eddie Bauer) Prospect, Evenflo Chase Comfort Touch, Evenflo Generations, Graco CarGo Zephyr, and Safety 1st/Dorel Intera.

IIHS President Adrian Lund said the 13 boosters “may increase restraint use by making children more comfortable, but they don’t position belts for optimal protection.”

Child seat manufacturers said their products meet and exceed federal regulations. Dorel Juvenile Group said it “welcomes the opportunity to review the evaluation conducted by the IIHS.”

Graco Children’s Products said in a statement that “safety is always a top priority and nothing is more important than the well-being of the children who use our products.”

It was the first time the Institute issued evaluations for booster seats. Lund said they chose not to review crash protection because the seats simply elevate children so lap and shoulder belts are well-positioned to restrain them.

Booster seats are typically used by children between the ages of 4 and 8. The seat belt is meant to be routed across a child’s lower hips and mid-shoulders instead of the abdomen because the liver and spleen are more vulnerable to injuries.

The IIHS called 10 seats “best bets,” meaning they were most likely to correctly position seat belts. They include: Combi Kobuk, Fisher-Price Safe Voyage (with plastic clip), Graco TurboBooster, Britax Monarch, Britax Parkway, Fisher-Price Safe Voyage (highback), LaRoche Bros. Teddy Bear, Recaro Young Style, Volvo booster cushion and Safeguard Go when it’s used as a backless booster.

Five seats were named “good bets” to provide acceptable belt fit. They include: highbacks Combi Kobuk, Graco TurboBooster and Safety Angel Ride Ryte, and combinations Recaro Young Sport and Safety 1st/Dorel Apex 65, when used as highbacks.

Dr. Kristy Arbogast, who researches child passenger safety issues at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said parents should not interpret the evaluations to mean that poorly rated seats are not effective.

Related Articles:

• Graco Introduces The Snugride 32
• ABC Kids Expo: Britax Goes Couture!

SOURCE

Graco has exceeded the previous stats of 30lbs/30inches by releasing their Snugride 32.

The company has done their research and says that this seat will accommodate 97% of one year-olds to keep your child rear facing for one full year.

It is also cushioned with GracoPedic™ luxury foam for extra padding and added comfort and features a removable infant body support that helps keep infants comfortably positioned.

The Snugride’s soft harness covers will keep you baby comfortably buckled, while the 180° rotating canopy helps shade your child from any direction.

One of the biggest complaints that most new parents have is that their baby outgrew their infant seat long before they wanted them to.

While I realize that most parents won’t carry the baby in this seat like they did when they were younger, it is still nice to know that you don’t need to buy another piece of gear for at least a year.

This recall includes the entire production of these models from October 2005 through December 2007.

In the event of a frontal crash, the car seat could potentially become separated from its base. Should the seat separate from the base in a crash, the child will not be adequately protected possibly resulting in injury.

Owners should contact Combi to obtain a free retrofit kit. Until the caregiver receives the free retrofit kit, Combi recommends that the car seat be used without the base.

Owners may contact Combi consumer relations department at 1-800-543-7734 or visit their website at www.combi-intl.com . Notes: Customers may contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov

SOURCE

A nice pattern? versatility? Safety Rating?

When I bought my car seat the thing I looked for was how long it would keep my son safe (weight restrictions), the company’s recall track record, safety features such as increased impact absorption.

Ease of installation was NOT on my list. It doesn’t matter to me how easy it is to install the seat. ALL I want to know is that once it’s in place that it will keep my son as safe as possible.

The U.S. has created a ridiculous system that rates car seats on the ease of installation, not safety track records or additional safety features.

The car seats are given an overall star rating, as well as individual star ratings in four categories — securing the child, vehicle installation features, labeling and instructions. Five stars represent the highest rating and one star the lowest rating.

I feel that this system is a bit misleading because anything that is rated a five-star is perceived to be an outstanding product. This may not be the case under the new rating system. A seat rated five-stars could just latch in better that it’s counterpart, but not provide any extra safety features to keep the child safe.

I think that they should go back to the drawing board and come back to us with a rating system that means something. I can’t help but feel like the government doesn’t want to get right into it and open a can of worms about federal safety standards.

There are so many car seats on the market that go above and beyond to make their seats safe for a longer period of time. Some are made with stronger materials and have better impact absorption.

If the government wanted to make a difference they would create a rating system that show all seats meet federal safety standards, but this group has added features to keep your child extra safe.

Transport Canada is advising the public that when in forward-facing mode, the harness system that holds the child into the seat can loosen on the Cosco, Eddie Bauer and Safety 1^st 3 in 1 car seats. This creates slack in the harness system, which reduces the effectiveness of the child seat in the event of a vehicle collision and could create excessive movement of the child’s body and head, which could lead to serious injury.

This recall will affect 314,433 units. The following models (dates of manufacture: November 1, 2003 to December 31, 2005) are affected:

• Cosco Alpha Omega: 22C15BNP, 22C15CRK, 22C15ROR, 22C15TUX, 22C26BNG, 22C26GRH
• Cosco Alpha Omega Elite: 22C51HMR, 22C51TRP, 22155CSPH
• Eddie Bauer 3 in 1: 22C75AFD, 22C75ARD, 22C75EBN, 22C75MPB, 22C76SHL
• Eddie Bauer Deluxe 3 in 1: 22C71BGL, 22C71BLD, 22C71MAC, 22756CLRS, 22756CBAL, 22757CMRC, 22757CLKM
• Safety 1^st Enspira: 22C50TWL, 22C50WFD
• Safety 1^st Intera: 22C46BDF, 22C46BDN, 22C46BKY, 22C46GEO

Dorel Juvenile Group, Inc. and Dorel Distribution Canada have completed an intensive research program to develop an engineering solution. Part of this effort involves a change of supplier for the centre front adjuster. The new centre front adjuster does not allow for harness slippage. The fix offered by the company is a knit adjuster strap, instead of a woven strap, which will eliminate any slippage.

Consumers who have completed and returned their registration card will receive notice by mail. Those who have not sent in the registration card should contact Dorel Distribution Canada at the toll free number (1-800-219-0540) or via email at aopublicnotice@djgusa.com.

Until the replacement adjuster strap is received, Dorel Distribution Canada recommends the continued use of the product. Consumers should not return the affected units to a retailer.

A Public Notice was issued by Transport Canada on August 31, 2007, and further information on the Cosco, Eddie Bauer and Safety 1st car seat harness slippage can be found on Transport Canada’s website at: www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/childsafety/notices/tp14566P/2007p05/menu.htm

Media requiring more information:

Jessie Chauhan
Transport Canada
(613) 993-0055

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in cooperation with Evenflo Company Inc., today announced a recall of the following consumer product.

Name of product: Evenflo Embrace™ Infant Car Seat/Carriers

Units: About 450,000

Manufacturer: Evenflo Company Inc., of Vandalia, Ohio

Hazard: When used as an infant carrier, the handle can unexpectedly release, causing the seat to rotate forward. When this happens, an infant inside the carrier can fall to the ground and suffer serious injuries.

Incidents/Injuries: Evenflo has received 679 reports of the handle on the car seat/carriers unexpectedly releasing, resulting in 160 injuries to children. These reports include a skull fracture, two concussions, cuts, scrapes and bruises.

Description: The recall involves Evenflo Embrace™ Infant Car Seat/Carriers made before April 8, 2006. The recalled car seat/carriers have model numbers beginning with 317, 320, 397, 398, 540, 548, 549, 550, 556, 597, 598 or 599. The model number and production date information can be found on a white label on the bottom of the carrier and on the top of the convenience base. Models beginning with “5” are units sold with the travel system (compatible stroller). “Evenflo” is on the carrying handle and car seat base. Embrace™ infant car seat/carriers made on or after April 8, 2006 are not included in this recall.

Sold at: Department and juvenile products stores nationwide sold the car seat/carriers from December 2004 through September 2006 for between $70 and $100 when sold alone and between $140 and $200 when sold with a compatible stroller.

Manufactured in: United States and China

Remedy: Consumers should not use the handle until the repair kit has been installed. The product can continue to be used as a car seat when secured in a vehicle. Contact Evenflo to receive a free repair kit that strengthens the handle latch. Recall notice will be sent to all registered owners of the recalled product. The recalled units should not be returned to the retailer.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Evenflo at (800) 490-7497 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the recall Web site at www.embracehandle.com

SATELLITE FEED INFORMATION

The satellite feed provides video of the recalled product.

DAY/DATE: THURSDAY, MAY 10, 2007
TIME: 3 p.m to 3:30 p.m. ET
SATELLITE: C Band Analog Galaxy 26
TRANSPONDER: Transponder C14
DL FREQUENCY: 3980 Horizontal
AUDIO: 6.2, 6.8

DAY/DATE: FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2007
TIME: 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. ET
SATELLITE: C Band Analog Galaxy 26
TRANSPONDER: Transponder C14
DL FREQUENCY: 3980 Horizontal
AUDIO: 6.2, 6.8

For help with the feed call 404-965-7929 or 404-502-9163 or email: Chucke@firstlinemedia.com