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*

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.

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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.

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!

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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.

The stroller company began with just an infant car seat and stroller base. They later introduced a toddler stroller attachment, cradle and now, a toddler car seat.

Like many of their other products, the car seat has been designed with convenience, flexibility and safety in mind.

• Versatile – easily docks onto Orbit’s Base, Stroller, and Rocker with our patent-pending SmartHub™
• fits children Rear-Facing from 15-35 lbs; Forward-Facing from 20-50 lbs and up to 49 inches
• rotates 360 degrees on the SmartHub™ for back-saving convenience and easy docking
• extensive side protection areas have multiple foam zones to keep your child secure
• the Toddler Car Seat’s EPP foam is higher-grade, softer, and more durable than brittle Styrofoam (EPS)
• adjustable headrest and fully removable upholstery can be cleaned without removing the restraint harness
• ballistic nylon back panel stores the full UV Sunshade, as well as all belts and straps
• can be installed Rear-Facing on the Orbit Base,* and Forward- or Rear-Facing without the Orbit Base (with the included Braces)

For more information please visit Orbit’s website.

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

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