Physics, Myths and Advice on Fitting

"As snug as a Hug is a good guideline..."

Physics

Traffic crashes are the leading cause of unintentional injuries & death

How Restraints Prevent Injury

1) Prevent Ejection
 

a) People thrown from a vehicle are four times more likely to be killed than those who remain inside
b) Ejected occupants are also 14 times as likely to sustain cervical spine injury than those who remain within the vehicle
 

2) Contact the body at the strongest parts of its structure
 

a) For an older child and adults, these parts are the hips and shoulders
b) For an infant and young child, there is really no part strong enough, so the restraint supports the entire body to avoid stress on any one part
 

3) Spread force over a wide area of the body putting less stress on any one part
 

a) A lab/shoulder belt, like a Child Restrain System (CRS) harness, spreads the force across a large area of the body
b) A Rear-facing infant restraint spreads the force along the entire back, neck and head
 

4) Allow the body to slowly ride down the crash
 

a) Vehicle crush zone help extend the time it takes to slow down
b) Vehicles are engineered to crush in a controlled manner. Occupants can take advantage of the vehicle ride-down only if they become a "part" of the vehicle using a snug seat belt or Child Restraint System (CRS). [The function of belt and CRS is to tightly secure the occupant to the vehicle so the person can take maximum advantage of the extended stopping time/distance afforded by the crushing front end]
 

5) Protect the head and spinal cord
 

a) A shoulder belt or CRS harness helps to keep the head and upper body away from the hard interior surfaces of the vehicle. Correct fit is very important
b) A rear facing CRS supports the head to avoid stress on the neck and trauma to the head and spinal cord
 

 

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Myths About Crashes and Restraint Use

"It is better to be thrown out. The car might burn or I might drown. I don't want to be trapped in my belt."

The passenger compartment is much "friendlier" than the roadway or surrounding area. Also, fewer than half of one percent of all crashes involves either fire or water. If this does happen, it is generally better to be restrained, so you are more likely to be conscious and uninjured and able to escape.

"I can hold my baby in a crash"

NO! The forces in a crash are so great that it is impossible for any person to hold onto a baby's body during a crash. If the adult is also unrestrained, he or she is likely to crush the child.
 

"Restraints are uncomfortable, for me and my child."

People who get in the habit of buckling up find it uncomfortable to ride without them. And it is a lot more uncomfortable to be injured. Poor fitting belts can be made more comfortable.
 

"I am a good driver, so I won't get into a crash."

You can never predict or control what other drivers will do, or how the weather may have changed the roadway. In every multi-vehicle crash there is at least one "good" driver struck by a "bad" driver.
 

"I am only going down the street to the store. I'll never get hit there. I always buckle up when I go on the motorway."

Most crashes happen close to home. Roads and streets are more hazardous than motorways because traffic is usually going two ways and there are many intersections and distractions. Also, local streets are not designed well for crashes. Superhighways are less hazardous because they have one way traffic only, good signs, lighting at intersections, gradual curves, and guardrails. They also installed breakaway poles that help minimize incidents or crashes that do occur.

"My baby fusses and cries in his car seat."

 "If your child cries when you take his/her hand to cross a busy street, would you allow him/her to cross alone?" There are many ways to help infants and children are more comfortable in CRS. If care needs to be given, stop the car safely and do it.
 

"My toddler climbs out of his/her car seat…."

Sometimes this is an issue involving loose or mis-routed harnesses. Other times it is really a developmental and/or discipline issue. CRSs are not designed to be escape proof- they are engineered to provide protection in a crash .

Here is where you can choose to use a Hug-it, because children are not crash test dummies.

Using forward facing seats.

The seat must be designed for use forward-facing and must actually face the front of the vehicle.

Be sure you check the labels and manual for the seat to find out whether the seat can be used in the forward-facing position. If the seat can face backward and forward, be sure you locate the belt path that is required for forward-facing and use it. Infant seats, those that double as carriers, can ONLY be used in the rear-facing position and should never be used forward-facing.  All forward-facing seats should have a label indicating that it meets motor vehicle safety standards.

The seat must be tightly installed in the vehicle.

After installation, grab the seat at or near where the car's seat belt threads through the car seat belt path. Give a firm tug, not a yank, from side to side, and from the back of the car towards the front.  The seat should not move more than 1 inch in either direction, and preferably as little as possible, or not at all. An untethered forward-facing seat will normally have a small amount of movement throughout the top of the seat - towards the front of the car and from side to side. A tether should be used whenever possible.

The safety harness must fit the child snugly.

"As snug as a hug" is a good guideline. You don't want your child to have problems breathing, but a too loose harness could have devastating results. Many instruction manuals suggest that only one or two fingers fit under the harness at collarbone level, but this could be too loose, depending on the size of the fingers. Instead, use the pinch test: grabbing the harness at shoulder level, try to "pinch" the harness together from top to bottom. You should not be able to pinch a vertical fold on a snug harness.


The safety harness must be at or above the child's shoulders, IN THE REINFORCED SLOTS.

In a forward-facing seat, the harness will hold the child back and in the seat in a crash. The harness must be at or above the shoulders to do this properly. If the harness is below the shoulders, the shoulders can be compressed and the head can travel further forward in a crash.  Many convertible seats REQUIRE that the top slots be used when forward-facing.  This is because only the top slots are reinforced to hold the harness in the seat when forward-facing.  NEVER use the middle or bottom slots on a convertible seat when forward-facing unless your manual specifically allows this.  All harness slots are reinforced on combination seats and forward-facing-only seats, so use the set that is closest to at or above the child's shoulders.

Straps must be properly aligned to keep shoulders and upper body within the harness.

Hug-it was designed to keep straps in the correct position for maximal safety.  Unlike chest clips, it will not slide up or down the harness, it can be applied to straps of differing thickness, and it supports and protects the upper body. Harness clips are common in the USA and provide some benefit compared to the UK where they are not often seen. The UK and EU do not support harness clips because they can delay release of the child in an emergency, for example if the straps are twisted or the clip is jammed too high on the harness. Hug-it is self-positioning, will not allow straps to twist, and once the main harness buckle is released, the straps are no longer held in place - the child can be taken out using the same manoeuvres you normally use to release the shoulders.

The back seat is the safest place.

This doesn't just apply to rear-facing seats. Everyone would be safer in the backseat - in the middle, if possible. The back seat is safest because it is farther from any point of impact. A front seat passenger is 30% more likely to be injured or killed than a rear-seat passenger.  Use the back seat position that offers the best installation.  A good fit in an outboard position is safer than a poor fit in the middle.