While out the other night a friend told me that using an infant car seat with the handle up while driving can compromise the safety and cause it to not protect the baby properly in the event of an accident.

I had no idea this could be a problem and am pretty sure I have driven with my baby in the infant seat with the handle up.

Looking for the answer, I contacted our rep at Britax and this is the response they sent. (The Chaperone they are referring to is their infant car seat, that was introduced last year.)

The reason many seats require you put the handle in the in-vehicle (or “down”) position while traveling is because the handle position can actually affect how the carrier performs in a crash and or crash simulation. The fact that the handle can move changes the center of gravity and thus changes the weight dynamics of the seat. A lower center of gravity (ie with the handle down) makes it “easier” to pass the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. For many carriers out there it can mean the difference between passing and failing the minimum Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

Unless the user manual and/or stickers on the side of the carrier specifically state you may leave the handle in the carrying (or “up”) position, you should assume that you cannot. Our Chaperone infant carrier allows the caregiver to leave the handle in any of the three locked positions while traveling in a vehicle. This was important to us while developing the carrier for a few reasons:

1. Many people leave it in the up position simply for convenience (one less step to take)
2. A perception of safety – it looks like a “roll-bar”
3. If you had to rotate the handle to the forward position, the carrier would require more room between the carrier shell and the vehicle’s front seat-back in order to clear the handle of the carrier…and, with the trend of larger, high-weight capacity carriers and smaller cars – is not a desirable combination.

There are now a few infant carriers on the market that allow you to keep the handle in the carrying position while transporting the child/carrier in a vehicle. There are however no carriers on the market other than the Chaperone that feature True Side Impact Protection (with non-rethread harness adjustment), an Anti-rebound bar and the convenience of a handle that can be left in any locked position.

Please note that I did not list the fact that people want to hang toys off the carrier’s handle as a reason for us developing the carrier to be able to leave the handle up. Due to the fact that toys are never crash tested on any carrier (and their size and weight and material vary so widely), they are not recommended to hang off a carrier’s handle while in a vehicle.

So, after this, I checked my infant seat and it specifically says on the side to put the handle down while the vehicle is in motion. Ughhh!

Additionally, I contacted Peg Perego, Dorel(makers of Safety 1st, Eddie Bauer and Maxi Cosi), Graco and Evenflo. Of those manufacturers, both Dorel and Graco told me that their newest seats have been engineered so that the handle can be left up if it is locked. Peg Perego and Evenflo both told me that the handle has to be locked behind the baby.

*Thank you to Britax for providing me with me with this response*

All models are are sale including the Roundabout, Frontier, Marathon, Diplomat, Decathalon and Regent.

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.

This year the company is launching 3 new products:

This seat falls into the ‘Highest Five-Point Harness Seat Category’, allowing children to remain in a five-point harness for up to 80 pounds or in booster mode up to approximately 100 pounds.

It was created for children aged 2 and up because of it’s straight up and down design. Children under the age of 2 are not developed enough to sit in this position safely.

The Frontier’s True Side Impact Protection distributes crash forces, shields from vehicle intrusion, contains the head and body, and minimizes side-to-side head movement.

Bonus – Britax has added 2 Retractable Cup Holders for convenient drink and snack storage.

2. Boulevard CS (available now in Canada and U.S.)

True Side Impact Protection, which distributes crash forces, shields your child from from vehicle intrusion, contains the head and body, and minimizes side-to-side head movement.

The CS stands for the Click & Safe™, a snug harness indicator that gives an audible affirmation to moms and dads that the harness is snug around the baby by clicking when the harness straps are appropriately tightened.

It has a quick-adjust headrest and harness that re-positions head support and harness height effortlessly without having to re-thread the straps.

Suitable for infants weighing 5lbs – 35lbs rear facing and toddlers 20lbs to 65lbs forward facing.

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3. Advocate CS (available 2009)This seat features two plastic cushions on the side of the seat that called ‘Side Impact Cushion Technology’.

These patented exterior energy-management cushions compress upon impact to protect both the child and adjacent passengers in the event of a side impact crash. This compression provides an increased level of side impact protection.

DISCLAIMER – weights listed in this post are for U.S. markets only. When released in Canada the seat’s capacity may be changed by Canadian Government.

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For the Fashionable Mommy, Britax is now offering a couple of Couture designs. It is not known whether these fashions will be available in Canada, but the U.S. should see them soon!

 

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The mom-to-be kept it simple by requesting a Cookie Monster Bath Towel, Baby Einstein Bath mitts, a Fisher Price Rainforest Bath & Changing Caddy and some Playtex Premium Designer Drop-Ins Nurser Holders.

Her good taste started to show when she requested a Bugaboo Frog, Britax Boulevard Car Seat and a Philips Baby Monitor with DECT Technology.

Also on the list were a few toys including the Baby Einstein™ Neptune Ocean Environment Play Gym, Leap Frog Learn & Groove Musical Table and Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes.

PHOTOCREDIT:Todd Williamson/ WireImage.com VIA VH1

Britax Child Safety, Inc. is recalling more than 34,000 Marathon child safety seats because the seats fail to meet federal standards.The specific Marathon seats being recalled are model numbers E9L06, E9W06, and E906, manufactured between May 23 and June 28, 2006.

During compliance testing with child dummies weighing more than 50 pounds by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the upper tether hook in some of the Marathon models bent, failing to secure the seat back properly.

“This could result in an injury to the restrained child in a crash,” according to NHTSA.

All registered owners of the Marathon seats will receive a safety notification, along with a replacement top tether hook, NHTSA officials said.

Federal safety regulators recommend that parents who have the affected seats contact Britax about what precautions may be necessary with regard to continued use of the seat while they are awaiting the replacement top tether hook.

Additional information can be found at www.MarathonRecall.com. Owners may contact Britax’s toll-free number at 1-800-683-2045.

NHTSA reported that the recall is being conducted after the agency denied a petition by Britax that the top tether hooks were not a safety concern. Consumers with questions about this or any other safety recall campaign should contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov.

SOURCE