Low Speed Crashes Can Still Cause Serious Injury

Especially if occupants are unrestrained.  A vehicle crash at 19mph (30 kmh) has the same impact on its occupants as a fall from a 3rd story balcony.  (Click link for video.)



This video footage may be dated, but the basic laws of physics have not changed.  Force still equals mass times acceleration.

Boosters: Put Your Hands on Your Hips

A lot of parents think that once their child is in a booster seat, all they have to do is put it in the car, buckle up the kid and hit the road.  NOT SO FAST!  Make sure the booster is doing a good job of positioning the seat belt!



How to tell?  To start, "put your hands on your hips."  THAT'S where the seat belt must cross -- on an adult OR a child, in order to properly restrain the body in a crash. 



Whether in a frontal, rear or side impact collision, the body can be thrown in many directions. The seat belt retracts when the vehicle stops suddenly, and is designed to hold the body AT THE PELVIS (hard, bony, strong) and help the body "ride down" the crash forces. 



If the belt crosses over the belly or the belly button, it is much too high.  In a crash, the belt could crush soft vital organs like the liver, intestines, and kidneys as it restrains the body.  A lacerations on the liver or tears in the bowel are serious, life threatening injuries.  They can also change or impair the body forever, e.g., colostomy.  There is also the risk of spinal injury, if the belt impacts the spine (after it's gone through all the soft-tissue organs mentioned above).



The shoulder belt should cross at the middle of the child's shoulder -- not on the shoulder joint and obviously not across the neck.  Again, across the skeleton, not soft tissue.



So what's the best booster seat? Just as with car seats, the BEST booster seat is one that fits your child, fits your vehicle, and can be used correctly 100% of the time.  Each child has his or her proportions -- long torso, wide shoulders, petite, etc., and back seats have many variations:  bench, captain's chair, etc.  Try out several at a big-box store (some will even let you test them in your car) and see which one(s) fit your child best.  And whether you want to play "Simon Says" with your child or teach him the Time Warp, make sure to put your hands on your hips as a reminder!



Here's a terrific explanation of proper booster use, selection and fit, from CarseatBlog (official blog of the wonderful CarSeat.Org.

KDMF Silent Auction: One of a Kind Poncho

I'm so proud to donate this one-of-a-kind Leopard & Black poncho to the Kyle David Miller Foundation Silent Auction.  It was created as a production sample -- which basically means I had several fabrics and colors and I wanted to see how they worked together in various combinations, so I had one of each combo sewn, and from these chose a "collection."  (How I love using Project Runway lingo!)  I loved this combo so much I ultimately decided to create it as a reversible, which makes this the original inspiration for one of our most popular styles. 

The winning bidder on this beauty will not only be safe, warm and chic, she will have the coveted position as the ONLY GIRL IN THE WORLD to wear this style.  No running into an accidental twin at Mommy & Me or the grocery store!

Take a look at all the great items also on display here.  All proceeds benefit KDMF in their missions to educate the public car seat safety – especially extended harnessing, and provide safe 5-point harness car seats to families who otherwise could not afford them.  The auction will be running for the month of February. In order to make a bid, please email the name of the item you are bidding on, your name, address and the amount you wish to bid to bombedier@hotmail.com.

Good luck to all.  Remember, bid early and often to help out a great cause!

More Safety Peeps Love the Car Seat Poncho!

The Car Seat Poncho gets the thumbs up from the Kyle David Miller Foundation, in their recent blog entry, "Dressing for Winter and Safety:"

... [The Car Seat Poncho] is wonderful, purpose designed poncho that keeps children both safe and cozy in your vehicle. The double zip function makes it easy to push aside the material in the front while you secure their harness underneath. The poncho then sits over the harness putting nothing bulky between your child, their seat and the harness. I love this product and it is my #1 child christmas/birthday gift.

I'm thrilled to be mentioned in their post, because keeping children safe is the super-duper, primo numero uno mission of the Kyle David Miller Foundation.  KDMF is a wonderful non-profit organization which seeks to increase awareness high-weight harnessing and donates high weight capacity 5 point harness car seats to low income families across North America.  It was founded in in December 2006 after the Miller family lost their 3 year old son Kyle in a motor vehicle crash on May 2005. The seat belt holding his booster seat failed and he was ejected from the vehicle and killed.

To support the goals of the foundation, H Barry Boo LLC donates $3 from the proceeds of every Pink Camo and Gadget poncho sale.  We call these Kyle's Ponchos.  When parents purchase either of these styles, they are not only keeping their children safer, they are helping an important cause and honoring the short life of a sweet little boy who was taken much too soon.

 

And while we're at it, why not throw in a BLOG SPECIAL:  From now until midnight Sunday, November 8, 2009, purchase either of Kyles's Ponchos and get a FREE MATCHING HAT.  Quantities are limited, so don't miss this chance to score a fetching, car seat safe winter ensemble for your little one.  Feel free to pass this info around to birth boards and Facebook friends!