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.
2017 Graco 4Ever Extend2Fit 4-in-1 Carseat Review
Late one night at the Graco factory, some smooth Barry White was heard playing, some carseats were hanging out, and about a year after the Extend2Fit’s original introduction, the Graco 4Ever Extend2Fit All-In-One was born. It’s about the perfect combination of what you could want in a carseat: the Graco’s super popular 4Ever 4-In-1 carseat and the Extend2Fit convertible carseat with the fabulous leg extension that eases parents’ minds about cramped rear-facing legs. The Graco 4Ever Extend2Fit is a busy seat for busy families: it rear-faces, forward-faces, becomes a highback booster, and converts to a backless booster.
Weight and Height Limits:
- Rear-facing: 4-50 lbs. AND child’s head is 1” below adjustment handle
- Forward-facing: 22-65 lbs., 49” or less
- Highback booster: 40-100 lbs., 43-57”, at least 4 years old
- Backless booster: 40-120 lbs., 43-57”, at least 4 years old
4Ever Extend2Fit Overview:
- 50 lbs. rear-facing weight limit
- 4 rear-facing recline positions, 2 forward-facing recline positions
- 2 recline handles: each located on the front and the back of the seat base for convenience
- 4-position leg extension for rear-facing comfort
- Seat belt lockoff for forward-facing use
- On-board harness storage for booster mode
- Steel reinforced frame
- InRight™ LATCH system
- Two cup holders
- Machine-washable cover
- 10 yr lifespan before seat expires
Graco also offers three other versions of the Extend2Fit carseat. Here’s a quick overview of the differences:
Extend2Fit with RapidRemove: Has all the E2F features plus an easy-to-remove cover. MSRP $219.99
Extend2Fit 3-in-1: Has all the E2F features plus the capability of being used as a highback belt-positioning booster seat from 30-100 lbs. MSRP $249.99
Extend2Fit 3-in-1 with TrueShield: Has all the E2F 3-in-1 features plus TrueShield technology, an extra layer of side impact protection. MSRP $279.99
4Ever Extend2Fit Measurements
Harness height: ~7”-17 ½”
Shoulder belt guide height: 18 ½”
External widest point: 19”
Shell height with headrest: 29”
Shoulder width: 12”
Crotch strap depth: inner slot: 2” with padding, 4 ½” without padding; outer slot: 6 ½”
Seat depth: 13”
Seat weight: 25.5 lbs. with padding, 24.6 lbs. without padding
Don’t forget about our comparison database!
Installation
Rear-Facing Installation
Graco SnugRide SnugLock 35 DLX Review
Graco has taken their ultra-popular, easy-to-use SnugRide carseats and improved upon the installation process by introducing a new base that has a swing-arm to clamp down on the seat belt for an installation that takes seconds. Even the most intimidated caregiver will feel brave with their carseating skills after a few minutes with the SnugLock. Graco also introduces a new SafetyCore™ crash force absorption zone on the base. There are other cool new user features on the carrier, but you have to read the review to find out what they are. Let’s get started with the basics.
Weight and Height Limits:
Rear-facing 4-35 lbs. AND 32” or less AND child’s head is 1” below top of seat
SnugRide SnugLock Overview:
- 1-hand adjustable handle
- Silent Shade™ generously-sized canopy
- EPS energy-absorbing foam
- SafetyCore™ impact absorption zone
- InRight™ deluxe push-on LATCH
- Euro-routing allowed for baseless installs
- Ergonomic handle to make carrying comfortable
- Removable head and body pillows
- Bubble recline indicator on DLX base with recline positions for 2 age ranges
- Made in China
- Two SnugLock base models available at 2 price points: Regular (MSRP $59.99) and DLX (MSRP $89.99)
SnugLock Bases
The model I have for review comes with the Deluxe SnugLock base. Other SnugRide SnugLock models come with the less-expensive regular SnugLock base. These bases are interchangeable, so if you want to buy extra bases for other vehicles you can choose either style.
SnugLock DLX Base
Regular SnugLock Base
What’s new, improved and coming soon from Baby Trend, Britax, Chicco, Clek, Diono, Evenflo, GB, Cybex, Graco, Nuna, Peg Perego & Safety 1st
The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) made the decision last year to split from the ABC Kids Expo and have its own show in the spring. This week, the CarseatBlog team has spent its time going from manufacturer to manufacturer to get the scoop for you—finding new information and fashions—and finding new goodies along the way!
Do you want the good news or the bad news first?
The Good News – a lot of great things are in the works from a bunch of different manufacturers. The future is exciting and full of cool new carseats and innovation!
The Bad News – we can’t talk about most of it (yet). Lol. We hate to tease but we are bound by NDAs in most cases, or the info is just embargoed until a specific date in the future. We hope that by the ABC Show in October we will be able to share some details on a few projects but for now just know that all the big players (and even some of the smaller manufacturers) are working on new stuff, improving existing platforms, and in general just upping their game. Some of these products will be available later this year but others won’t be on store shelves for another 12+ months.
However, not everything we saw or discussed was confidential or embargoed. There was some new, and new-ish, stuff to report on, so here you go, in alphabetical order . . .
Baby Trend
Protect Convertible Series
- The base is hollowed out in the middle to help it fit better in the center of the back seat, which is sometimes contoured.
- Elite Version: available at BRU; has dual cup holders, lockoffs, and adjustable base; has a robust internal head restraint for rear-facers
- Premier Version: available at Target; has 1 cup holder, adjustable base, and a double insert for comfort and fit
- Sport Version: available at Wal-Mart; has 1 cup holder and a flip foot for rear-facing
- BT is bringing back the Inertia, which changed names to müv, and will now be called E-motion.
Britax
ClickTight Models
All 3 ClickTight models—Marathon, Boulevard, Advocate—now are packaged with anti-rebound bars (ARBs) in limited fashions.
Chicco
Fit2 LE Infant Seat
- Will continue to be made in Italy
- Alto fashion has leatherette trim
NextFit iX
- The iX means Innovation Multiplied. Pretty cool, huh?
- Has new LockSure™ lockoffs that seat belt slides into, just like the KeyFit lockoffs
- Harness adjuster has a force multiplier to make tightening easier for caregiver
- Harness adjuster strap has also been reduced in width from 2″ to 1.5″ to reduce friction, which makes it easier for caregivers to pull tight
- Chest clip has been changed to an IMMI chest clip
GoFit
- Is available in Shark, Raindrop, and Grape fashions
- Will continue to be a Target exclusive until 7/1/17
There will be new Air fashions in January 2018.
Clek
Check out the lovely limited edition purple (Peep) seats! Aura is the white shell version while Prince is the black shell version. Available in July while supplies last.
Also new is Cadet (white shell) and Woodlands (black shell).
Diono
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.
