* Special thanks to Nicole Carlson (one of clek's Facebook fans) for Aiden's photo

Parents researching booster seat safety will love this resource:  the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety has just released its second annual ratings of booster seats for lap and shoulder belt fit in a report recommending 9 models – clek oobr included – as “best bets” .   There are 6 “good bets” and 11 are “not recommended”.  From the press release:

A good booster routes the lap belt flat across a child’s upper thighs and positions the shoulder belt at midshoulder.  The Institute released its first booster ratings last year, evaluating 41 seats.

“Parents can’t tell a good booster from a bad one just by comparing design features and price,” says Anne McCartt, Institute senior vice president for research. “What really matters is if the booster you’re considering correctly positions the safety belt on your 4-8 year-old in your vehicle. Our ratings make it easier to pick a safer booster for kids who have outgrown child restraints.”

The 60 boosters tested cover most models currently available in the United States, making this a must-read for everyone looking for independent comparative booster seat information.

When the vehicle drivers used a seat belt, the odds were higher that children were correctly restrained in a booster seat.  On the other hand, children travelling with unbelted drivers were using booster seats only 1-2% of the time.

These findings came from a detailed study of all 14,571 children aged 4–8 involved in fatal frontal motor vehicle collisions in the USA between 1995 and 2005.  The data was obtained from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), a database created by The National Center for Statistics and Analysis and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

FARS contains records of motor vehicle collisions in the USA that involve the fatality of either an occupant of a motor vehicle or a non-motorist, such as a pedestrian or pedal cyclist who has been struck by a motorist and are killed in the crash.

Specifically, the researchers determined that in states with a booster seat law, children were 20% less likely to die in such accidents than in states without a law.  They were almost 60% more likely to be restrained, and more than 4 times more likely to be properly restrained.

It isn’t entirely clear whether children are likely to be better restrained in the car because of the fear of being caught on the wrong side of the law, or the positive effects of all the safety messages in the media that accompany booster seat legislation.  We think it’s probably a combination of both.  But perhaps it doesn’t even matter so much anymore.  Currently only 3 US states, 3 Canadian provinces and the 3 Canadian territories remain without booster seat legislation.  Certainly for the vast majority of us in North America, the law is clear and the message is consistent:  children need to be properly restrained.  Seat belts were designed for adults, and children need booster seats to raise them up sufficiently so the seat belt fits over the bony areas of the body, namely the hips and collarbone.  Otherwise, they are at greater risk for serious injuries or death in a crash.

This is a fascinating must-see clip from the Today Show that talks about the disabling injuries sustained by a seven year old who wearing an adult seatbelt when the car she was in was involved in a traffic accident. You will see exactly how seatbelt syndrome occurs. A must-see for all parents whose children have ever put their belt behind their shoulder. There is also an inside peek at some innovative inflatable seatbelts Ford may be using in the future.

To get the data, we downloaded the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) growth charts.  Their site has a lot of interesting stuff to check out, but for now we are limiting ourselves to height:

What does this tell us?  Well, about half of girls reach 4 foot 9” (145cm) a little after their 11^th birthday, which is slightly ahead of the boys.  Almost 90% of children have reached this age a little before their 13^th birthday.

What may surprise many parents and what the legislators may not have realized, is that only about 3% of children have reached the safe height to relinquish their booster seat by the age of 9.

While most booster seat regulation in North America requires children to wait until they are 8 before they can legally graduate to adult seat belts, it seems the law is way more lenient than what the seat belt manufacturers are telling us is good for our children’s safety in the event of an accident.

The reclining seat back is one of the cool features differentiating Oobr from other booster seats.  Together with the adjustable headrest, children can sleep safely and more comfortably than ever before on long journeys.

However, we’ve fielded a couple of inquiries from customers wondering whether there was something wrong with the back of their brand new seat.  They noticed the back moved about and were expecting it to be more rigid.

We told them not to worry:  The seat back is rigidly attached to the seat cushion, but is also designed to pivot freely up to 12 degrees. This free motion allows the booster seat to accommodate the range of different seat angles of vehicle seats. It also allows the seat to recline when used with Oobr’s rigid LATCH system. So, as long as the booster seat’s LATCH connectors are securely attached to the vehicle’s lower LATCH anchors, and the booster seat back or headrest is in contact with the front surface of the vehicle seat back or headrest, the recline position is safe for use.

How does this work? The LATCH system operates like the seat track on your driver’s seat (sliding backwards and forwards) and locks in different positions — this is what locks the booster seat relative to the vehicle seat.  As you pull the recline handle and slide the cushion forwards, the seat back automatically reclines. The vehicle’s lap and shoulder belt  then secures the child in the booster seat against the vehicle seat.

Remember! You should NEVER use the recline feature without the booster seat’s lower LATCH connectors securely attached to the vehicle’s lower LATCH anchors. When using the booster seat without using the latch connectors, the back of this booster seat base MUST be in contact with the vehicle seat back.

So if you were also worried about your brand new seat, the short answer is Yes, it is meant to do that!

A national report was released by SafeKidsUSA this month after observing drivers at 20 middle schools in 15 states.  The major finding was that one of every six drivers in school zones is distracted. Furthermore:

• Drivers on busy roads are 16 % more likely to be distracted than those driving on roads with less traffic.
• Female drivers are 21% more likely to be distracted in school zones than males.  While women as a group aren’t inherently worse drivers than men, most women we know would agree that multitasking is an integral part of their daily lives.
• Afternoon drivers are 22 % more likely to be distracted than morning drivers.  Perhaps somewhat counterintuitive, but it does help explain why one in three child pedestrian deaths occur between 3 and 7 p.m.
• Drivers not wearing seatbelts are 34 % more likely to be distracted than drivers who are buckled up.  Why?  The authors felt that drivers engaging in one risky behavior are more likely to engage in multiple unsafe driving behaviors.

Some of the distracting activities that might be going on include:  texting, using a cell phone or GPS, interacting with our kids or other passengers, adjusting one’s clothing or makeup, eating or drinking.  We could add a lot more examples, but you get the picture.

It is estimated that the risk of an accident while using a cell phone is comparable to driving with a blood-alcohol content of 0.08.  The risk associated with texting is almost 4 times higher.  In school zones we need to be constantly on the lookout for children crossing the road, swerving cyclists, and stop and go traffic.  Distractions in the car affect our ability to react quickly and safely.

It would be unrealistic to mandate eliminating all distractions while at the wheel.  But we can do a lot to make school zones safer:

• Slow down in school zones and be alert for children, particularly during school travel times.
• Never use your cell phone while driving.  It goes without saying that texting while driving is a complete no-no.  Always pull over safely first.
• Do what you can to maintain a calm and controlled atmosphere in the car at all times.

Do you have some good tips for other parents?  How does your child’s school ensure pedestrian safety?  Let’s start a conversation and take steps together to reduce the distractions that affect our ability to be safe drivers.

A study published in the August 2009 edition of the journal Injury Prevention looked at motor vehicle-related fatalities in Toronto involving children under the age of 18* and reported that:

• Almost 50% of collisions occurred during school travel times (07:00–09:00, 12:00–13:00 and 15:00–17:00)
• The highest proportion of collisions (37.3%) occurred among 10–14-year-olds
• Within school zones, collisions were more likely to occur among 5–9-year-old children
• The risk of collisions, particularly fatal ones, was highest in school zones and decreased as distance from schools increased
• Most collisions within school zones occurred at midblock locations versus intersections
• More child pedestrian collisions occurred during the school year (from September to June), with a drop in the summer (July and August). Perhaps a little surprisingly, there were fewer collisions during the winter months.

Now you may be thinking that these facts speak for themselves, since the highest concentration of children will always be found in school zones, during the school year and during school travel times.  But consider also that pedestrian injuries are a leading cause of injury and death in children, and account for almost 20% of motor vehicle-related fatalities.  Great progress has been made to improve safety of motor vehicles and their occupants, and this study targets an easily identified risk group.  The researchers felt a better understanding of the facts could enable better interventions around schools to help our children to be safer.

If you are a parent or an educator, the results of this study are helpful for teaching children to understand the very real dangers they may face every day while walking to and from school or the school bus.  Talk to them regularly about the risks and how to make their journey a safer one.  Encourage them to always cross the road at intersections, preferably with the help of a crossing guard.  If the school is on a busy street with fast moving traffic, or if there are insufficient safe crossing points, you may wish to raise your concerns to the principal or even the school superintendent, helping them develop safe and practical strategies that can save lives.   Many local police departments will be happy to send an officer to speak directly with students about road safety.  Ask if you may address your child’s class or even the entire school body.  You may wish to work with other parent volunteers to start a Kiss & Ride system.  Draft a safety message to be included in the school newsletter or on the website.

Oftentimes, children need to hear safety messages a number of times before they sink in, and not all parents are equally diligent, so it is certainly helpful to spread your safety message to as wide an audience as possible.

As drivers, we should also be especially alert when driving in school zones.  You may even consider taking a different route if this is an option.  The actions of school children are not always predictable and even a momentary distraction by either party could have fatal consequences.

For some excellent tips for both pedestrians and drivers in and around school zones, you may wish to refer to the SafeKidsUSA website.

*Warsh J, Rothman L, Slater M, Steverango C, Howard A. 2009. Are school zones effective?
An examination of motor vehicle versus child pedestrian crashes near schools. Injury
Prevention. 15:226-229.

Many parents have been informed by their seven or eight year old that they no longer need a booster seat, that it’s for babies, or that their friends don’t use them anymore.  Heard this one before?  Let’s face it, kids can be under a lot of peer pressure at that age, but that’s not a good enough reason to let them throw out their booster seat and risk serious injury in the event of an accident.

Always check the child restraint laws in the state or province you are driving in.  Most require a booster seat to be used up to the age of 8.  But what if your child is small for his or her age?  Age is often not enough to keep them safe.  A good rule of thumb is that children need to reach 4’9”, which is somewhere between 10 and 12 for most children.

An even better method is to use the 5-step test to determine if your child can safely ride in the car without needing a booster seat.  You can find the five step test on SafetyBeltSafe USA. And don’t forget to remind your child that boosters are for big kids.

This month, we’re taking you to the east coast, where Sheri Gurock and husband Eli, founders of Magic Beans, carry clek products in their three greater Boston retail locations: Brookline, Hingham, and Wellesley, Mass. 

Peddlers of toys, gear and modern nursery furniture, the couple offers a selection of products that reflects both on their own experiences as parents, as well as those of the parents they interact with. The end goal is to help customers understand their best options—and in the process, Sheri has become an expert on child gear, serving as a go-to source for anyone in need of smart safety advice. She also runs the blog, Spilling the Beans. 

During our recent stop in Boston, we sat down with Sheri to get the scoop on all things “cool” in Boston: 

clek: Magic Beans was founded in 2004. What inspired you to launch the stores, Web site and blog?

Sheri: I was inspired to open Magic Beans mostly because I love to shop, and I wanted to create the kind of shopping experience for parents (and kids) that I could not find when I had my first child. That’s why we do things a little differently. Not sure which stroller to buy? Take it out for a walk. Even borrow it for a day or two. Not sure if that booster seat will fit in your car? Let’s take it out to the parking lot and check. Need a place to come and play with your toddler on a rainy day? We’ve got a Playscape in each store that’s all yours – and you can sit there for hours and no one will ever pressure you to buy anything.

clek: Speaking of booster seats, what is it that makes clek olli a standout?

Sheri: There are so many things I love about olli, it is hard to choose just one. But the thing I can say that most encompasses it is the ease of use. Everything about it is easy. It is easy to put into the car and easy to remove. It requires no adjustments, and both my 5 and 7 year olds can buckle themselves in easily, with no parental assistance – especially nice in my minivan, where my clek olli is in the third row. 

clek: Ease of use is definitely an important factor in all clek products. What other child gear trends are you finding grab parent’s attention today?

Sheri: Hot trends right now are customization—adapting your gear to reflect your lifestyle and your personality. clek is right on top of that trend, with lots of colors to choose from. Parents like to have a stroller in their favorite color, but kids LOVE it. It’s especially important to have buy-in from kids with booster seats – it’s the reason why a 7 or 8 year old is still willing to sit in a car seat!

The stats are startling – motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death in the United States and Canada. That’s why excuses like “We’re only going to the grocery store,” or “She thinks she’s too old for a booster seat,” can make the difference between life and death, according to Safe Kids USA.

To make sure that your kids (under 13) are ready to graduate to safety belt-only protection in the car, you can perform this simple Safety Belt Fit Test.

Until then, make sure that you’re keeping children properly restrained while on the go. Visit www.magnaclek.com for full info on the safety features of the LATCH-able clek olli, recently rated for an increased weight limit of 120 lbs, and clek oobr, the first full back booster to use a magnesium back frame for the ultimate in lightweight protection.