It was another great year for Lifesavers and this one was special because it was the 30th Anniversary! Needless to say, a lot has changed and much progress has been made in the last three decades but everyone involved in Child Passenger Safety and in other traffic safety issues knows that there is still so much more to be done. I always leave the conference with renewed passion and enthusiasm (and no voice from talking all day, and a hangover from excessive good times with great people… but I digress). Lol.
I posted some tidbits and updates on the previous Lifesavers blog. Here is the rest of the news and updates:
TrueFit: Original C630 model is already discontinued. Recline model is being discontinued. Only the Premier model with anti-rebound bar will be available going forward. Head wings have been redesigned to be deeper and more contoured. New C680 model with redesigned headwings will be available on Amazon starting in mid July. Coming in Fall 2012 is the new C685 IAlert TrueFit model. I predict this technology is going to be the start of something very big in this industry. Parents are busier (and more distracted) than ever before and this innovative technology addresses several key areas of concern. I saw the full demo and was very impressed!
Merritt Manufacturing (for children with special healthcare needs): Prototype rear-facing only seat for children with omphalocele. While the condition can range in size and severity – the intestines and sometimes the liver and spleen protrude outside the baby’s body. About 1 in 10,000 births result in some form of an omphalocele and about 25 to 40% of infants with an omphalocele have other birth defects as well. The condition is most often surgically corrected before age 2. Please keep in mind that this is a prototype and changes will likely be made before the seat is eventually released. No word on when it might be available but they’re working on it.
Also coming soon from Merritt – a secure travel containment system for all the monitors and medical devices that often need to accompany babies and children with special healthcare needs. The device securely contains monitors, (2) oxygen canisters, suction devices, etc., and the entire contraption is secured on the floor of the vehicle via 4 points of attachment. A fantastic idea and something that is greatly needed!
Graco: They’re going back and looking at the Size4Me 40” rear-facing height maximum. No promises of any changes but they’re talking internally about what the concerns are and what the other options might be. We promise to keep you posted if we hear of any changes. New Turbo with Safety Surround is very nice. Base is exactly the same as the original model. Both EPS and EPP foam are used in the back and head wings portion (in different places). Placing the EPP on the outside of the torso wings was deliberate. Its purpose is to absorb some of the energy that occurs when the booster contacts the vehicle door or the intruding object during a side-impact crash. In this area, placing the EPP on the outside provides more benefit than putting it inside the shell.
Mercury Distributing (Institutional Sales for CPS Programs): They now carry the Cosco Apt, Safety 1st Avenue and Comfy Carry Elite Plus! Hopefully they will carry the new Dorel Topside LBB too in the near future.
Evenflo – I already covered most of the big Evenflo news in my previous blog but here are a few more pics and a little more info on the new Sure Ride/Titan 65 convertible. Sure Ride/Titan65 will be rated to 40 lbs RF and from 22-65 FF. It should be available by September and will make its way to Canada also (but the U.S. will get it first). New Chase model (based on the Maestro) will replace the existing Chase model and will be sold at Walmart. 22-40 lbs only with 5-pt harness. New Triumph 65 will have improved harness adjuster mechanism. Momentum is being phased out. Lots of nice new fashions coming soon! I <3 the red and gray Symphony65 e3!
Dorel: Full range of current products were on display (everything from Comfy Carry to Pria70) and we had a nice long talk about anything and everything . No news to report ATM but we hope to have something to share on the new Maxi-Cosi Prezi infant seat soon.
GM new front seat center airbag. Extremely cool technology. And they’ve tested the hell out of it to make sure that there aren’t going to be any unintended negative consequences or interactions with child restraints secured in the rear center seating position. They even tested with a RF Britax convertible tethered Swedish style and found no issues. These airbags will be standard on all 2013 Buick Enclave models and standard on ’13 GMC Acadia and ’13 Chevy Traverse models with power front seats. Acadia and Traverse models with manual front seats will not have the center airbag.
Did you happen to find out if GM might be willing to mention rf tethering in their vehicle manuals since they tested a Britax seat with it tethered Swedish style? I contacted GM about my Outlook (Enclave/Acadia/Traverse by different name,) and provided them with pictures and details on exactly what a rf’ing tether does and where it goes, and despite the information being forwarded to engineers, the answer in regards to the safety of it that I got back from the engineers was that it “wouldn’t void my vehicle warranty.” That was absolutely no help on the issue of whether they allowed it or not… so if they’re actually doing some testing with it, it would be great to see that make it’s way in to their vehicle manuals.
Oops, nevermind on pricing, I saw the other blog post. I would like to know any ETA if you have it though (pretty please). Also, any comparison of the Prezi vs. Mico??
Any idea on (ballpark) pricing of the Sure Ride/Titan 65 and when it will be available?
I’ve been petitioning to get them, and KIM, to come more than halfway across the country. I’m not sure they’re even listening to me, I have yet to get even a “thank you for your input” response. LOL.
(I think the furthest west either is coming in the forseeable future is Colorado and New Mexico. Which is better than Florida I guess, but you know, we have some great cities for conferences over here on the OTHER coast! :p )
I’ll be glad when they get these conferences away from Disney World in the summer. First, I’m not bringing my kids on *my* vacation from them. Second, my dh does not want to take them alone to a major theme park while I’m attending sessions. Oh, guess I should’t vent here, but those are the only reasons I didn’t go this year. It would have been nice to get my CPS tank filled :).
it also looks like the put the harness slots closer together int he new truefit models, which should prevent them slipping off shoulders on narrower kids.. yay!
Thanks for sharing all the news!
love that all black cover on the true fit! Will that be on the Amazon one next month?
Oh! That’s an AIRBAG! I saw the CPS Board photos on Facebook and thought it was a large angry mask. LOL.
Typo! Off to fix that…
Isn’t it the Prezi, not Pretzi?
I’m super-excited about the containment for equipment from Merritt! I know they’ve been working on that for a while, and it’s SUCH a need!
Thank you for the awesome reports! I’m jealous because I won’t be making either Lifesavers or Kidz in Motion this year. I think it will be the first time since 2001 that I haven’t attended at least one of them:-(
Yup! I hadn’t even thought about that but you’re absolutely right.
Cool stuff! Thanks, Kecia! These new center airbags are going to really drive home the importance that you really can’t put seat covers on vehicle seats with airbags in them.