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Does Where You Live Predict How Likely Your Child Will Die In A Crash?

Posted by Heather On July 21, 2017 In News

The Journal of Pediatrics recently released an interesting study examining whether geography made a difference in children deaths from vehicle crashes. It stated things we already know: unintentional injury is the leading cause of child death in the US and vehicle crashes cause the most injury. Some of the most common causes of injury included not using restraints, misusing restraints, putting children in the front seat before age 13, alcohol and drug use by drivers, high speeds, and rural roads.

After examining the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) database, researchers concluded that 13% of children who died in crashes were inappropriately sitting in the front seat when they should have been in the back seat. Across all states, 20% of children who were either unrestrained or inappropriately restrained died. And nearly 9% of drivers who were under the influence of alcohol were driving with children. The type of road made a difference too: rural roads counted for 62% of child fatalities.

The vast majority of children who died in crashes (52%) lived in the South, followed by 21% in the West, 19% in the Midwest, and 7.5% in the Northeast. Factors include what was discussed above: unused or misused restraints and driving on rural roads. Also found to be a factor in reducing deaths were red light cameras. In states where there were red light cameras in operation, death rates were lower. Also interesting was that there appears to be a minivan “safety bubble” effect. Children riding in minivans had a slightly lower death rate, though it’s not the minivan itself that may be necessarily safer; rather people who drive minivans may drive slower, use child restraints and use them properly, and so on.

What does the study tell us? A carseat isn’t going to work if it’s not used and it has to be used properly to do its job. The front seat isn’t safe for kids under 13; it’s just not. Red light cameras work. Rural roads are more dangerous because they’re smaller, twistier, and don’t have barriers between oncoming traffic.

Peg Perego Primo Viaggio 4-35 Nido Review: A Safety Nest for Baby

Posted by Katie On July 19, 2017 In Reviews

2017 Peg Perego Nido Primo Viaggio Infant Seat Review

The last time Peg Perego brought a new infant seat to the market we were pleased to see an anti-rebound bar and a parent friendly seat belt lockoff integrated into the base. And now with the Peg Perego Nido, they have upped the ante again. Not just an anti-rebound bar on the base and a lock off, not just anti-rebound handle position and European routing for baseless installs, but now the Nido can be added to the short list of American rear facing only seats featuring a load leg. Every part of the Nido is carefully thought out for safety and comfort and it more than lives up to the Italian word nido, or nest, as a safe and comfortable place for your baby when your family is on the go.

Nido Overview

Premium base with load leg, anti-rebound bar and Right Tight System (seatbelt lock off)
European routing for baseless install with anti-rebound handle position
No re-thread harness, which is adjusted with a squeeze handle on the back of the seat
Pagoda hood with zip away extender that covers the entire seat and has airflow vents
Bubble recline indicator with three different ranges based on weight
Opening in the back of the seat that allows parents to see the recline bubble indicator with the carrier clicked into the base to ensure proper positioning
Dual stage infant cushioning to improve fit for smaller infants
Side impact protection head wings with EPP foam
EPS foam along the entire shell
Made in Italy

Height and Weight Limits

4-35 pounds
Height less than 32 inches and at least 1 inch of headrest above baby’s head at the top harness height

Nido Base
The base on this car seat is where it first starts to separate itself from the pack. We’ve seen rear facing only seats with load legs before and we know that they improve safety by decreasing rotational forces in a crash. We’ve seen rear facing only seats with anti-rebound bars that attempt to reduce rebound into the vehicle seat during the second phase of a crash. But we haven’t seen both on the same base…until now.

The Nido base has a solid anti-rebound bar that goes against the vehicle seat back and a load leg at the back of the base. The load leg can be adjusted to 10 different heights and the Energy Management Foot at the end of the load leg is designed to crumple upon impact to help absorb some of the energy from a crash. There is an indicator on the base to show whether the load leg is fully engaged as well as red/green indicators to show whether the car seats is completely clicked into the base.

The base also features the “Right Tight System”, which is a seat belt lock off that provides a secure installation without requiring the belt to be manually switched into a locking mode. The anti-rebound bar, load leg and “Right Tight System” combine to create a base that is entirely unique and exceptionally well designed for safety.

Measurements

2017 Chrysler Pacifica Review Video

Posted by SafeDad On July 12, 2017 In Automobile Safety, Reviews, Vehicles

2017-2018 Chrysler Pacifica Review: Kids, Carseats & Safety

The new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica is the only minivan to receive an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award for 2017. It also received a 5-star overall rating from Safercar.gov and the NHTSA gave it 5-stars in each crash test as well. That’s why we gave it a Runner-Up award for our Safest Family Minivans and SUVs with 3rd Row Seats. We do have a few minor concerns, however. To earn the top award from the IIHS, you have to purchase one of the pricier trim levels and an options package totaling almost $42,000 MSRP with family-friendly 8-passenger seating. As for carseats, while it’s a nice improvement from the Town & Country minivan, it’s still not quite as kid or carseat-friendly as the 2017 Honda Odyssey. Is it the best choice for your family? SafeDad discusses some of the pros and cons in our video review:

Likes:

IIHS Top Safety Pick+ (Limited & Touring L Plus w/Advanced SafetyTec group)
NHTSA 5-Star Rating
5 sets of LATCH in 8-passenger trim
Improved from the Town & Country
Interior and Exterior styling
Stow ‘n Go is great
Easy 3rd row access
Cargo space and flexibility
Very good performance for a minivan
Decent fuel economy; Hybrid available

Dislikes:

Very pricey to equip important Advanced SafetyTec features
3rd Row has various issues with child safety seats
2nd row buckle stalks & head restraints can be problematic for certain carseats
Narrow 2nd row center seat is difficult for carseats, doesn’t stow in floor
Firm front seats, rear seat comfort lags other minivans

Car Seats and Child Seating:

While not as family-friendly as the 2017 Honda Odyssey or even the 2017 Kia Sedona, the Pacifica does accommodate larger families with multiple carseats. The Car Seat Lady has an exhaustive write-up that fully addresses the second and third row seats in regards to kids and carseats.

Conclusion:

Despite the cost above $40,000, I recommend the Chrysler Pacifica Touring-L Plus trim with the Advance SafetyTec Group and 8-passenger seating options. This is arguably the safest family hauler you can buy today! The 2017-2018 Pacifica does have some minor concerns and is still not the ideal minivan for being friendly to carseats, but with Stow ‘n Go seating it is flexible enough for most families.

Thank you to Chrysler for providing the 2017 Pacifica used for this review.

SafeDad writes about automobiles, carseats and traffic safety issues at CarseatBlog

July 2017 Carseat Deals, Stroller Sales & Coupon Codes

Posted by CarseatBlog On July 10, 2017 In Amazon, Featured, Shopping

Deals Tracker: We find the lowest prices on carseats, strollers and other baby gear in July, 2017. Bookmark us and check back frequently for the latest bargains and promo code offers!

We’re the deal experts so we know where the really good deals are on the stuff consumers actually want to buy.

This list will be updated anytime we see a great deal or promotion code below recent average prices, so you don’t have to wade through dozens of normally priced models to find the bargains. You can help us (and your fellow shoppers) by leaving us a comment if you find a deal on a carseat, booster or popular stroller that isn’t posted yet. We recommend that you bookmark this post, as we will update it regularly throughout the holiday season! If we see a bargain price on a popular model from our Recommended Carseats List, like the Britax Frontier, Britax Boulevard ClickTight, Chicco NextFit, Graco 4Ever, Diono Radian, Maxi-Cosi Pria, Clek Foonf or Clek Fllo, we’ll update as soon as possible!

What you need to know about Amazon pricing: it’s FICKLE. When a product’s price is reduced we rarely know how long it will remain at that price. Sometimes it’s a few days, sometimes it’s a few hours. The best advice we can offer you is to ACT QUICKLY if you see a great deal on something you really need or just seriously want. Just adding something to your cart does not guarantee you that item at that price – you must complete the checkout process to seal the deal. Most items on our list offer FREE SHIPPING & FREE RETURNS to Prime members but always double check this before you put the item in your cart and checkout. Not a Prime member? There’s a 30-day FREE trial. It’s a no-brainer! Try it out and score some great deals. You can always cancel before the 30 days is up if you’re not sold on the many benefits of an Amazon Prime membership.

Looking for more info on a certain carseat or booster? Check out out REVIEWS page. We have in-depth reviews of over 100 carseats and boosters.

Prefer to shop at other stores? If you received great advice from us or discovered a good deal here and share it with friends, please mention us and also share* our links to Amazon, Albee Baby, Diapers.com, Target.com, Walmart.com, Kohl’s, BuyBuyBaby and BabiesRUs.

Select Editors’ Picks:

These carseats may not be on sale right now, but are among our Editor’s Picks and are reader favorites, too. For current deals, please scroll to the next section.