This video footage may be dated, but the basic laws of physics have not changed. Force still equals mass times acceleration.
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Showing posts with label cars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cars. Show all posts
Low Speed Crashes Can Still Cause Serious Injury
This video footage may be dated, but the basic laws of physics have not changed. Force still equals mass times acceleration.
Babies Forgotten in Cars: Continued
My post last week about a new invention prompted several comments here and on Car-Seat.org. The invention is intended to prevent parents from forgetting their children in their cars, which is potentially fatal in hot weather. Since it is a hot topic (forgive me; I could not resist the pun), I would like to continue the discussion this week:
In one post on the threat at CarSeat.org, umbrage was taken at my choice of term "offloading responsibility." I guess in that phrase I was imagining a type of person (who may or may not exist) who gets The Gizmo and takes the attitude "Now I don't have to think about forgetting my child, because if I did, my Giz would start beeping!" Satisfied at removing one more thing off his/her checklist, he or she could then go merrily on with his/her way. I meant it as an exaggeration, and hope/pray that this exact type of person does not actually exist.
Other people stated that, in the cases where the inthinkable has actually happened, the parent or caregiver was not in his/her usual routine (e.g., covering for the person who usually drives the child one place or the other) and it turned into a tragic mistake. There is usually no doubt in the minds of the authorities or family that the adult would ever have intentionally left the child in the car, but was this day he or she was out of sorts, not in the usual routine, or distracted, in an atypical, unexpected situation.
My concern is this: if these types of things usually happen in non-normal, unanticipated situations, who is this product for? To me, it seems like a Catch-22: Would a parent who thinks ahead enough to buy the Gizmo ever be the type to forget their child? Or, would a parent who is in such a distracted state remember to use the Gizmo?
On Car-Seat.org, safeinthecar liked the idea of "matching" bracelets that beeped or blared if child and parent were ever more than a certain distance apart. I like it, too. These would be useful in all kinds of situations (in public places, in crowds, as well as cars and parking lots). But again, when do you know WHEN to wear them? Some people get in and out of our cars all day with our kids -- does that mean we wear them ALL the time? How likely is it that we'll say, "I'm going to be forgetful today. Must remember the bracelets"?
I look forward to hearing your comments. I'm also going to send this thread to William Edwards, one of the NASA engineers who developed the keychain invention. Maybe he will chime in or find our thoughts of use!
Background Reading:
My Original Post
Comment thread on Car-seat org
In one post on the threat at CarSeat.org, umbrage was taken at my choice of term "offloading responsibility." I guess in that phrase I was imagining a type of person (who may or may not exist) who gets The Gizmo and takes the attitude "Now I don't have to think about forgetting my child, because if I did, my Giz would start beeping!" Satisfied at removing one more thing off his/her checklist, he or she could then go merrily on with his/her way. I meant it as an exaggeration, and hope/pray that this exact type of person does not actually exist.
Other people stated that, in the cases where the inthinkable has actually happened, the parent or caregiver was not in his/her usual routine (e.g., covering for the person who usually drives the child one place or the other) and it turned into a tragic mistake. There is usually no doubt in the minds of the authorities or family that the adult would ever have intentionally left the child in the car, but was this day he or she was out of sorts, not in the usual routine, or distracted, in an atypical, unexpected situation.
My concern is this: if these types of things usually happen in non-normal, unanticipated situations, who is this product for? To me, it seems like a Catch-22: Would a parent who thinks ahead enough to buy the Gizmo ever be the type to forget their child? Or, would a parent who is in such a distracted state remember to use the Gizmo?
On Car-Seat.org, safeinthecar liked the idea of "matching" bracelets that beeped or blared if child and parent were ever more than a certain distance apart. I like it, too. These would be useful in all kinds of situations (in public places, in crowds, as well as cars and parking lots). But again, when do you know WHEN to wear them? Some people get in and out of our cars all day with our kids -- does that mean we wear them ALL the time? How likely is it that we'll say, "I'm going to be forgetful today. Must remember the bracelets"?
I look forward to hearing your comments. I'm also going to send this thread to William Edwards, one of the NASA engineers who developed the keychain invention. Maybe he will chime in or find our thoughts of use!
Background Reading:
My Original Post
Comment thread on Car-seat org
Check out the 2011 Toyota Sienna
Relatedly, how do you guys feel about driving your Toyotas now? Our model year Sienna has not been on the recall list, but I am definitely not uneasy (i.e., not uneasy, but not easy either).
Click here for TOYOTA RECALL LIST (Not including new Prius recall)
Can car seats be any safer?
On a recent Babycenter thread, I cheekily suggested a seat that fills with foam upon impact (which might not be all that safe, I know), but what else could there be?
With higher rf weight limits, higher weight FF seats, and SIP becoming the standard for new car seat models, what other safety features could manufacturers consider adding to car seats?
One thing that I could see is emergency locking retractor belts in car seats -- the kind that are sensitive to rapid deceleration, and have an inertial mechanism device that pulls the seat belt taut upon impact? I think the Safeguard seats had them (correct me if I'm wrong), but that seat was so expensive, and I believe Safeguard is no longer making that model.
Other ideas?
Toyota/Lexus Recalls: Floor Mats & Accelerator Pedals
Important news for drivers of Toyota and Lexus vehicles: Toyota is recalling 3.8 million vehicles because the driver's side floor mat could cause the accelerator pedal to become stuck, and lead to unexpected high speeds and dangerous crashes. The automaker and federal officials are urging owners to remove their driver’s side mat while Toyota works out a solution.
Specific models and model years are: 2007 to 2010 Camry; 2005 to 2010 Avalon; 2004 to 2009 Prius; 2005 to 2010 Tacoma; 2007 to 2010 Tundra; 2007 to 2010 ES 350; and 2006 to 2010 IS 250 and 2006 to 2010 IS 350.
For detailed information from the manufacturer:
Toyota press release
Lexus press release
And please pass this information on to anyone else you know who might own or drive these vehicles!
Specific models and model years are: 2007 to 2010 Camry; 2005 to 2010 Avalon; 2004 to 2009 Prius; 2005 to 2010 Tacoma; 2007 to 2010 Tundra; 2007 to 2010 ES 350; and 2006 to 2010 IS 250 and 2006 to 2010 IS 350.
For detailed information from the manufacturer:
Toyota press release
Lexus press release
And please pass this information on to anyone else you know who might own or drive these vehicles!
"When I was a kid..." doesn't cut it with car seat safety.
I was pleased to read this post on the Kyle David Miller Foundation Blog recently, about how practices that seemed safe a long time ago are now known to be unsafe. Think about how much more we know today, about cigarettes, asbestos, pre-natal healthcare, bisphenol A!
I wrote a similar piece as a press release last year, and posted it on the website. Same idea, with data and footnotes. Here it is, in case you missed it:
July 8, 2008
"Back in the day..." is no excuse for slacking on safety.
I wrote a similar piece as a press release last year, and posted it on the website. Same idea, with data and footnotes. Here it is, in case you missed it:
July 8, 2008
"Back in the day..." is no excuse for slacking on safety.
Many people dismiss car seat safety, saying, “When I was a kid, we didn’t ride in car seats, and we turned out fine.” They go on: "We sat five across on a bench seat, no belts... My parents took me home in a laundry basket on the floor of the back seat... I used to ride in the front seat between my mother and father..." (Of course, the voices of those who were not so lucky to have "turned out fine" are not being considered!)
While skeptics may use their own childhood experiences as references, they should remember that it’s not just the type or number of products that's different: The nature of driving itself has changed significantly in the past 30 years:
1. There are 300% MORE CARS on US roads now than when we were kids.
According the Federal Highway Authority, the number of passenger vehicles has steadily risen, from 74 million in 1960 to over 231 million in 2004.(1) That means more traffic, more congestion, less parking, and more road rage. And drivers' attention is more divided than ever, with cell phones, DVD players, GPS systems -- not to mention non-technical distractions like eating, putting on makeup, or settling arguments between backseat passengers. Every one of these can be a factor in a collision.
2. The average US motor vehicle is nearly 20% HEAVIER than the ones we used to ride in.
According to the Center for Auto Safety, the weight of the average passenger car increased from 3,227 pounds in 1980 to 3,868 pounds in 2000. (2) Even at relatively low speeds like 30 miles per hour, the 600+ pound increase in one or more of the cars’ weight could dramatically increase the damage of a crash. Add to that the wider range of weights in the vehicles on today’s roads (from the Honda Civic DX at 2,628 pounds (3), to the AWD Cadillac Escalade at 5,708 pounds (4)), and the possibilities for injuries and fatalities are even greater.
3. The average American child spends MORE TIME in the car than ever.
The National Household Travel Study, released in 2003, found that three fourths of children aged 5 and younger rode in private cars daily, averaging 65 minutes per day. In reporting the study, the Washington Post wrote that younger children, not yet in school, probably spend significantly more time in the car than that. (5) Those with stay at home parents go wherever (and whenever) Mom or Dad goes, and those with working parents often drive with them to day care near the workplace. Suburban sprawl also makes a difference: "Fetching a carton of milk used to mean toting children along to the corner store. Now it means strapping them in for a 20-minute drive to K-Mart." (6) The more time spent in the car, the more risk of being in a collision. That's why most car crashes tend to happen close to home, not on the highway -- we spend more time close to home!
Safety improvements like seat belts, air bags and car seats have helped decreased the number of deaths over the past 30 years, but motor vehicle injuries are the leading cause of death among children in the U.S. (7) They still cause about 25% of injury deaths among children 12 and younger. (8)
We all have anecdotes about how our childhoods were simpler. Some may argue that the old days were better, and in many ways, they were. But there is no question that advancements in technology and communications have also enhanced (and prolonged) our lives. So resist the temptation to disregard today’s safety advice. Make sure your kids stay safe whenever they are in a car, so that in years to come (when their world is unrecognizable to us!), they, too, will be talking about "back in the day."
SOURCES:
1 US Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, number of motor vehicles since 1960.
2 Statements of Clarence M. Ditlow, Director, Center for Auto Safety, to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, December 6, 2001.
3 US News & World Report, Automotive Rankings & Reviews, 2008.
4 Cadillac.com, 2008 AWD Escalade, Vehicle Information, Curb Weight
5 WashingtonPost.com, “The Road Too Much Traveled: For Many Children, Drive Time Just Keeps Going,” January 27, 2003
6 WashingtonPost.com, January 27, 2003
7 CDC. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System [online]. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (producer). Available from URL: www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars. [2008 May 5].8 National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. 2003. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System. Atlanta, GA. Available: http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars/.
(This article was originally published on http://www.carseatponcho.com/.)
About Donna Eng:
Donna Eng is the inventor of the Car Seat Poncho, and the CEO of H Barry Boo LLC. She invented the Car Seat Poncho at her dining room table, after searching in vain for a product that would keep her son both safe and warm in his convertible car seat. Prior to founding H Barry Boo, Eng had a 15-year career in advertising and market research.
About the Car Seat Poncho:
The Car Seat Poncho is the safe alternative to a coat for children who ride in a convertible car seat. Regular winter coats are often too thick to allow the safety harness to fasten properly, which could lead to the ejection in a crash. The Car Seat Poncho is the easy way to keep a child safe and warm in the car seat, and is more convenient than a coat because it can be worn outside of the car as well. The Car Seat Poncho is available online at http://www.carseatponcho.com/, and is patent pending.
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