Seat belts and car seats are very effective at preventing deaths and reducing injuries when used and used correctly.  But they can’t do their job unless they are used correctly.  People who are not buckled up at all are much more likely to be ejected from the vehicle.  People who are thrown out a window or door skid along the pavement and may be pinned or crushed under a vehicle. Even if they aren’t ejected, unrestrained people are a danger to both themselves and others in the car. In a crash anything that is not restrained, including people, will fly around the vehicle.  Unrestrained people can and do seriously injure or even kill other occupants in a crash. How are seat belts and car seats designed to protect us? Seat belts, booster seats, and car seats are designed to reduce injury to occupants and help to do so five different ways. The importance of a correct seat belt and car seat fit is often overlooked. However, a seat belt or car seat cannot provide maximum protection if it is not used correctly.

The main principles of correct seat belt fit are that: Proper Seat Belt Position Booster seats raise children up for a correct seat belt fit as described above and should be used until the child is large enough to fit correctly without the added “boost.” Left: This child is too small to use the seat belt alone. Right: The booster seat positions the child so that the seat belt fits properly. There is a common pattern of injuries that results when the lap belt is not worn in the proper position.  Emergency room doctors commonly refer to this pattern of injuries as “seat belt syndrome.” Seat Belt syndrome occurs when the lap belt is worn across the stomach area instead of the hips.  When a crash occurs the seat belt presses into the stomach causing injuries to the lower spine and organs such as the spleen, liver, and intestines. Proper fit is also important for children riding in car seats. Proper use of car seats and recommendations for best protection are discussed in detail here.

Some crashes are so violent that even properly restrained occupants are seriously injured or killed. Factors such as the size, weight, speed and direction of the vehicles involved in the impact will affect the outcome. If the occupant compartment is crushed, restraints may be unable to prevent injury or death. However, probabilities and statistics cannot predict what will happen in every crash. A variety of factors determine injury outcome. Seat belts and car seats are designed to protect against the type of crash forces most likely to occur. The best way to avoid or reduce injury is to restrain the body in the most effective way possible.See all pregnancy, parenting, and birth videosMy weekday stress point is double parking the car outside the elementary school to run, car seat in hand no less, while I pick up my oldest. It’s close enough that it’s not worth getting out the stroller but as each day passes, that car seat gets heavier and more awkward to tote up to the school doors.

Just one of those mildly annoying parenting growing pains, that we’ve all lived with, but we don’t have to. Meet the Doona system, a car seat that transforms in to a smooth riding compact stroller with one click. Yes, that really is a car seat and stroller in one. Once I saw it, I couldn’t imagine how no one had thought of this before. The Doona comes to us from Simple Parenting, a company that prides themselves in seeking out the biggest trouble spots from day to day parent living and figuring out how to fix them. Bathroom Shower And Tub SurroundsWhich they seem to do, beautifully, if this is any indication.Flooring Materials Malaysia The Donna is no flimsy disposable bit of baby gear; T Shirts For Pageantsthis is an extremely well made and thoughtful item designed to truly make your life easier and well simpler.

You don’t even have to put anything together! This baby comes completely intact and ready to roll. At first I thought that it was going to sit too low and that I wouldn’t feel comfortable with the Doona, but that is not the case at all. The sleek design, adjustable handle and smooth ride make this handy item easy to use and a true helper. Simple Parenting also goes above and beyond in it’s safety measures with extra protection and fail safe mechanisms that give a nervous new parent a little more peace of mind; like a memory foam infant head support that hardens to protect on impact. Having just booked a family vacation I am kind of excited to know this aircraft approved system will make our packing and transport so much easier from the plane to the rental car, saving us extra carry ons and trunk space. Then when we drop it down to its folded position so it’s just an infant seat (say while we’re grabbing some overpriced breakfast in the airport restaurant) we can even use the extended handle to rock it.

Yes, it literally rocks. Which is way easier than pushing the stroller back and forth with your foot to soothe baby while you pretend to relax. Simple Parenting offers a rear facing car seat base for the Doona as well as a wide selection of accessories to allow you to customize yours to your experience and comfort level. My only initial gripe is the lack of built-in storage for all my errand running. You can grab a bag that snaps on to the back of the stroller for an extra $30 that should solve some of the storage issue but don’t expect to load it up with 50 pounds of kale. (Are people buying 50 pounds of kale at a time these days? I also would take advantage of the optional wheel covers to keep your car clean– after all the wheels are going from dirty sidewalk to your backseat, if you’re the kind of parent who thinks about such things. The main downside I can see, behind the price tag which will obviously be prohibitive for a lot of parents,  is that the car seat is a tad heavy, weighing in at about 5 pounds more than most infant car seats.