All posts by Mike

Todd Spencer Ringheim, 50, near Sherwood, OR, Killed in SUV vs. Dump Truck Crash

unsplash-kosinska-flowersWho:

Todd Spencer Ringheim, 50, was killed Wednesday morning 3/26/14 near Sherwood, OR. He drove a 2009 Cadillac Escalade SXT and collided with a dump truck by Southwest Scholls-Sherwood Road. He was on Southwest Roy Rogers. The dump truck driver had minor injuries.

How:

Ringheim headed south on SW Roy Rogers Rd at approximately 55 mph and approached a road curve that he was unable to negotiate. He crossed the center line and crashed into a northbound dump truck. He died at the scene while the dump truck driver sustained minor injuries.

Why:

This appears to be a textbook case of a small frontal overlap crash; the kind where the vehicles almost missed each other, but didn’t. These kinds of collisions tend to be even more severe than moderate (e.g., 50%) overlap crashes, which in turn, are more severe than full head-on crashes, since each crash offers progressively less of the vehicle to absorb the tremendous energies involved.

It is likely that Ringheim was traveling too fast for road conditions and lost control in the turn; it is essential to remember that the speed limit describes the speed limit in idealized conditions, and that it is often necessary to travel slower than the posted limit. The pictures indicate it was or had recently been raining that day, indicating 55 mph would have been too fast to safely negotiate that turn, due to the reduced traction available in rainy weather.

Despite the presence of ESC in the 2009 Escalade SXT, he was unable to negotiate the turn. The Escalade, a modified Silverado, weighed ~5990 lbs and was not tested for frontal impact scores by the IIHS. It was impacted by what appears to be a standard 10-wheel dump truck, which can weigh at least 24,000 lbs. That’s at least 401% of the simulated weight the Escalade would have experienced in an IIHS front impact test.

Given the likely speeds of the collision (~55 mph), the collision likely imparted at least 3.29MJ of energy into the Escalade. The standard front impact test for the Escalade would simulate 434KJ of energy (an Escalade impacting its twin at 40 mph). In other words, Ringheim faced 758% of the force he’d have experienced in the types of crashes Escalades would be front rated for. Given these forces, his odds of survival were, sadly, virtually non-existent.

It is noteworthy, though not unexpected, that there is negligible damage to the front of the dump truck, while the same cannot be said for the Escalade, where the front and side deployed airbags are visible, as is a significant amount of intrusion. The A pillar appears to have completely disintegrated, as does most of the driver’s side of the front of the vehicle, consistent with a severe frontal overlap crash.

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If you find the information on car safety, recommended car seats, and car seat reviews on this car seat blog helpful, you can shop through this Amazon link for any purchases, car seat-related or not. Canadians can shop through this link for Canadian purchases.

Recaro Performance Coupe Infant Seat Review: Stylish and Safe

Recaro has been in the racing business for decades and the car seat business for a number of years now, and have gradually been expanding their line from quality booster seats to convertibles and infant seats. The Recaro Performance Coupe is their newest infant seat, and when I was offered the chance to review one, I couldn’t pass it up. You can buy the Recaro Performance Coupe here, and keep reading to see whether it lives up to its “performance” moniker when it comes to keeping kids safe and comfortable and parents happy and stress-free. From a company with a history in racing, I had high expectations.

2017 update: There haven’t been any significant changes to the Recaro Performance Coupe in the last two years in terms of rear-facing weight or height limits; it remains pretty much the same seat as it was during my original review.

Recaro Performance Coupe – What’s the big deal?

The Recaro Performance Coupe infant seat is touted as having a number of technologies designed to make riding in a car seat both a more pleasurable and safe experience for children, beginning with features like memory foam and temperature-sensitive fabrics and ending with side impact protection inspired by racing technology. It’s an infant seat, which means it’s designed to be used from day one when leaving the hospital, and that it will need to be replaced within the first 2 years of life, due to the size limits of the seat. It is also designed to rear-face only. Is it worth it? I think so. Let’s take a closer look at why in this Recaro Performance Coupe infant car seat review.

Recaro Performance Coupe Limits for Weight and Height

Rear-facing: 4 to 35 pounds. Children must be less than 32 inches in height and must remain rear-facing throughout the life of the seat. The seat also cannot be used if the child’s head is within 1″ of the top of the seat. Being an infant seat, this seat is not designed to enable children to rear-face until they’re 4, which is what I recommend. However, it will get you started, and parents should get at least 1 year out of it.

An infant pillow insert is included in the seat that is designed to be used between 4 and 11 pounds. There are 5 adjustable height positions for the harness and 2 buckle positions.

Buy the Recaro Performance Coupe on Sale with Free Shpping at Amazon here.

Dimensions of the Recaro Performance Coupe

The Performance Coupe is 18 inches high, 17 inches wide, and 31 inches deep. When installed with the base, it weighs 18.5 pounds, while when without the base it weighs 10 pounds. In other words, it’s a pretty beefy seat. It’s narrow enough, however, that you shouldn’t have any problem with 3 across car seat installations. You can check the 3 across guide to see what similar seats fit well in your vehicle.

Using the Recaro Performance Coupe

Out of the box, the Performance Coupe inspires confidence; it has a solid, rugged look to it, and it feels firm when held. It’s also quite a large seat. The seat has a number of features that, per Recaro, were inspired from racing safety research, including side impact protection that is designed to keep the entire body of the child shielded in the event of a side impact collision. Given the high rates of fatalities from side impact collisions, I’m a fan of the technology. EPS foam is included generously throughout the seat to help with force reduction and absorption. The side wings are deep and run the length of the seat.

HERO harness technology is also included, which refers to a system for making the harness straps less likely to twist when being used. They aren’t twist-proof, but from my efforts to twist them, I’d definitely agree with Recaro’s assessment of their being twist-resistant. It’s designed to make the harness adjustment easier each time. A no-rethread harness is included, which is easy to adjust with one hand. Five positions are included for height, as well as 2 buckle positions, which is rather standard across most infant car seats these days.

The HERO technology specifically works by keeping the shoulder pads at the child’s neck, shoulders, and head, while at the same time making harness twisting less likely and helping keep the chest clip in the right position. It’s also designed to make the seat more comfortable by keeping the harness straps away from a child’s neck due to its positioning of the shoulder pads in the harness.

The Performance Coupe also includes cloud comfort memory foam, which is designed to take the shape of your baby over time. It’s similar to the foam used in memory foam mattresses, and it seems to do a good job in remembering the imprints left by babies sitting in the seat.

Percale fabrics are used in the seat cover, which are soft, well woven, and feel pleasant when touched. They are designed to balance temperatures felt by children sitting in them, in order to keep them from getting hot or cold easily. The cover itself is easy to maintain, as it is easily removable and can be cleaned quickly with a wet cloth. I particularly like that the cover can be removed and reattached without needing to rethread the harness, as is common in a number of cheaper infant seats. The canopy is large and can be set to multiple positions.

Installing the seat is rather straightforward, whether through seat belt installations or LATCH installations. You can install the seat by itself or with the included base. You can also buy extra bases to make installation easier in multiple cars, which I would highly recommend due to its allowing you to simply snap in the seat without disturbing a sleeping infant.

A micro-adjust knob is included in the base of the car seat along with a flip foot to help you find the right recline without resorting to rolled blankets or pool noodles. Specifically, the knob can be used to make small adjustments relative to the ground, while the quickflip recline is essentially a foot that you can activate in order to achieve a few extra inches of recline. I also like the inclusion of a bubble level indicator to help you make sure that you have the right level of recline dialed in.

Speaking of recline, the seat does a good job fitting my test 7 pound newborn doll, and is a seat I would expect to fit slightly smaller than full term babies as well. If you have a baby between 4 and 11 pounds, you’ll need to use the included infant insert.

The Performance Coupe may also be used with the Performance Denali stroller to form a complete travel system.

Buy the Recaro Performance Coupe on Sale with Free Shipping at Amazon here.

Why Buy the Recaro Performance Coupe?

For me, buying an infant car seat is primarily about safety, and secondarily about convenience. You want a seat that’s going to fit your children well and you want a seat that you’re going to want to use frequently. I find the Recaro Performance Coupe fits on both accounts. It’s designed to work from day one from the hospital and will fit your child until he or she is at least 1 year old. When your child begins to approach 1″ of the seat’s height, 32 inches, or the 35 pound weight limit, you’ll want to look into a convertible seat next so you can continue rear-facing until you reach 4 years of age or more, as rear-facing is the safest position for a child of any age when traveling in a motor vehicle, but this holds especially true for infants and toddlers. Don’t be in a rush to forward-face.

Besides the usefulness of the Performance Coupe from day one, I’m also a big fan of the side impact technology, the HERO harness technology, the ease of installation, the fact that it’s made locally in the United States, the multiple options for achieving a good recline, and the rugged feel of the seat. Drawbacks to the seat include the fact that it’s on the heavier end compared to some other infant seats. However, I’m also a fan of the memory foam and the sturdiness of the seat. I recommend the Recaro Performance Coupe infant seat wholeheartedly. You can buy the Performance Coupe here in Fern, Scarlet, Granite, Indigo, Onyx, Royal, and Candy. Canadians can buy it here.

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If you find the information on car safety, recommended car seats, and car seat reviews on this car seat blog helpful, you can shop through this Amazon link for any purchases, car seat-related or not. Canadians can shop through this link for Canadian purchases.

Maxi-Cosi Pria 85 vs. Maxi-Cosi Pria 70 with TinyFit Comparison and Mini Review

The Maxi-Cosi Pria 85 is one of the newest convertible car seats from car seat producer Maxi-Cosi, and is billed as the successor to the Maxi-Cosi Pria 70, one of the most popular convertible car seats of recent years, particularly when paired with the TinyFit insert. I’ve had the opportunity to review both seats and use both at the same time, and am a fan of both. However, most families aren’t going to have the space or resources to own both seats at the time, even though both seats are definitely possible to use in 3 across installations. Here is a comparison between the Pria 85 and the Pria 70 with TinyFit to help you figure out which of the two is more likely to meet your needs. If you’re in a hurry, I’d recommend the Pria 85 (review here, buy here) over the Pria 70 with TinyFit (review here, buy here) unless you specifically need the TinyFit insert.

Here are reasons to choose the Pria 85 over the Pria 70 with TinyFit

1. The Pria 85 has higher front-facing weight limits. This is the most obvious difference between the two car seats. The Pria 70 with TinyFit has a 70 pound forward-facing weight limit, while the aptly-named Pria 85 has an 85 pound forward-facing weight limit. This means children in the Pria 85 will be able to spend more time forward-facing before needing to find either a booster seat or another forward-facing car seat. Remember that children should be harnessed until ideally 8, and then boostered until they pass the 5 step test.

2.  The Pria 85 is easier to clean. Maxi-Cosi describes it as the easiest seat ever to clean, and they’ve got a point. You can remove the seat pad easily with a pair of snaps and wash it and dry it with a washer and dryer. You don’t need to deal with harness rethreading or seat installations and uninstallations to make this possible, which takes a lot of the hassle out of keeping the seat clean. In comparison, with the Pria 70, it’s necessary to remove the seat cover and the cover needs to be hand-washed.

3. The Pria 85 is lighter. The difference is only a few pounds, but it does make a difference between the seats, and it’s worth keeping in mind for some parents. The Pria 85 weighs 20 pounds while the Pria 70 with TinyFit weighs a bit more at 22 pounds.

4. You don’t need it from birth. The main advantage of the Pria 70 with TinyFit over the Pria 85 is that it comes with the TinyFit insert, which allows you to use the Pria 70 straight from the hospital, since the rear-facing llower limit drops to 4 pounds with the Pria 70 with TinyFit. The Pria 85, in contrast, has a lower weight limit of 14 pounds.

Having said all of this, I think both seats are great. The seat that’s better for you and your family will entirely depend on which features you’re more in need of. Keep in mind that I didn’t write anything about how safe either seat is, and that’s simply because both seats are equally safe and will do a great job of keeping your little ones secure. The main differences are in weight limits as I indicated above. You can buy the Pria 85 here and the Pria 70 with TinyFit here.

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If you find the information on car safety, recommended car seats, and car seat reviews on this car seat blog helpful, you can shop through this Amazon link for any purchases, car seat-related or not. Canadians can shop through this link for Canadian purchases.

When Can Kids Stop Using Boosters? A Guide to the 5 Step Test

If you're looking for a combination seat, it doesn't get better than the Britax Frontier right now.
If you’re looking for a combination seat, it doesn’t get better than the Britax Frontier right now.

If there’s one thing I focus on advocating in this car seat blog, it’s extended rear-facing. However, after rear-facing and forward-facing comes boostering, and just as the majority of parents stop rear-facing and start forward-facing too soon, or stop forward-facing and start boostering too soon, the majority of parents also stop boostering and start allowing their children to ride using nothing but adult seat belts far too soon. And as in the other cases, this can have disastrous consequences for the safety of our little ones. Here is a guide to answer the question of when children can stop using booster seats, and when it’s safe to start using the adult seat belt and seat in a vehicle.

My State Says It’s Okay at 8 (7, 6, 5…etc).

Yes, all states have laws on when it’s okay to use the adult seat belt, and all states are wrong on this. Most states don’t have any limits on when children can sit in the front seat either, even though best practices suggests keeping them in the back until at least 13. The ages set by states are too young, and put children needlessly at risk of serious injuries or deaths from being improperly restrained in collisions. Sound familiar? This is exactly the situation we’re facing with rear-facing age requirements and forward-facing harnessed age requirements. Don’t stop at the law; it doesn’t go far enough.

What about the NHTSA Recommendation?

The NHTSA recommendation, that children between 8 and 12 years old keep using boosters until they have good seat belt fit, which is typically around 4’9″, or 57″, is a much better recommendation to follow. However, in a number of cases, the 4’9″ suggestion won’t be enough. A much better guide to follow is the 5 step test, which is far more thorough and not likely to put any children in adult seat belts who aren’t ready for them.

What’s the 5 Step Rule?

The 5 Step Rule is a simple, yet extremely effective way of figuring out whether or not a child is ready to use an adult seat belt. If a child is ready to use an adult seat belt, he or she will be able to meet *all* of these rules. Here they are:

1.) The shoulder belt should sit directly in the middle of the child’s shoulder.

2.) The lap belt should sit low on the child’s thighs.

3.) The child’s bottom should be located at the intersection of the lower and upper vehicle seats.

4.) The child’s knees should not bend until they are past the bottom seat’s edge, and the child’s feet should rest flat on the floor.

5.) The child should be able to sit in this position for as long as the vehicle is in motion without moving.

All of these factors need to be present for a child to be ready to use an adult seat belt, regardless of the child’s height. That means that if a child is 4’10” but can’t pass rule 4 with feet on the floor, or rule 3 with sitting with the bottom directly against the intersection of the seat, or rule 5 with good posture all the time, that child is not ready for the adult seat belt. This may occur with a child above 4’9″ because the child isn’t mature enough to sit well (rule 5) or simply because the child’s proportions are in such a way that, relative to the rules, their bodies just aren’t ready yet.

It might sound like a lot of rules to keep in mind, but these rules are designed to keep children safe, which is reason enough to learn them and think twice about putting a child in an adult seat belt if s/he can’t meet them.

What Happens if My Child Can’t Meet All of These Rules?

If your child can’t meet all of these rules, there’s nothing wrong with him or her; s/he just needs a booster seat. Booster seats are easy to use and available in a range of budgets. Keep in mind that the 4’9″ recommendation refers to a child who, at the 50th percentile by height, is going to be 11 years old. An 11 year old is several years older than the 8 year old that most states say is old enough to use a seat belt. And we’ve just discussed how 4’9″ might not be enough height for every child due to differences in proportions. Many children aren’t going to be ready for adult seat belts via application of the 5 step test until they’re 5’0″, which is the 50th percentile for a 12 year old.

And that’s okay.

What Are the Best Booster Seats?

In my opinion, two of the best booster seats on the market are actually combination seats: the Britax Frontier and Pinnacle. They both have the highest shoulder height limits at 23″ and the highest weight limits at 120 pounds, which means that children will have the greatest odds of reaching an age where they’ll pass the 5 step test in these two seats. If they’re out of budget, however, any of the booster seats I recommend here are worth looking at. What’s important is that you booster your children until they’re truly ready for adult seat belts; they’re worth more than the minimum requirements of the law.

You can buy the Frontier 90 and buy the Pinnacle here.

If you find my information on best practices in car and car seat safety helpful, you can do your shopping through this Amazon link. Canadians can  shop here for Canadian purchases. Have a question or want to discuss best practices? Join us in the forums!

Four Dead, including 3 Children, in Virginia Beach, VA, in Car vs. Pickup Crash

unsplash-nieto-flowersWho:

Marlo Teofila Bayot, 38 (the driver); Cheyenne Desire Patricia Gurney, 14; Gabriel Kalani Proctor, 13; and Cherish Lailani Gurney, 10; died between Wednesday, 4/16/14 at around 7 PM, and Friday (Marlo & Gabriel) 4/18/14, due to a 4/16/14 crash. Marlo had been driving a 2002 Nissan Sentra that contained 6 children.  Three children are still alive, though injured–Jada Proctor, 12; Malulani Proctor, 12; and Alii Proctor, 8. They crashed into a 2013 Toyota Tacoma while northbound on Sandbridge Road in Virginia Beach, VA. In the Tacoma, the driver and passenger were not seriously injured. The father of 5 of the children, Glen Proctor, was not in the vehicle. Marlo was his fiancée.

How:

Per police reports, the Nissan was northbound on the road when the driver left the roadway, overcorrected, headed into incoming traffic, and was side impacted by the southbound Tacoma . The Nissan flew into the woods and landed on its side. One passenger was ejected. Police would not indicate whether the Nissan’s occupants had been belted. Cherish and Cheyenne died at the scene, while Marlo and Gabriel died two days later in the hospital.

Why:

This is another sad case of an overloaded vehicle filled with children. There were 8 occupants in a vehicle designed for 5. This should never have occurred. Although the full police report has not been released, it is clear that at least 3 children were unbelted, as there were 7 children and only 4 passenger seats. At least 5 of the children should have been in booster seats, while at least 1 should have been in a forward-facing child restraint.

Second, each unbelted child significantly increased the risk of death of every other occupant in the vehicle, as unbelted occupants increase the risk of injury or death of remaining occupants by 40%, and there were at least 3 in the Sentra.

Looking at the physics, the 2002 Sentra has a “poor” side score due to the life-ending forces the test vehicle imparted on the driver dummy and high head injury scores reported by the rear passenger dummy. It was impacted by a 2013 Tacoma that weighed ~3953 lbs, or 120%  of the weight of the simulated vehicle in the IIHS side impact test.

Given the likely speeds of the collision (~55 mph), the collision likely imparted at least 542KJ of energy into the Sentra. The standard side impact test simulates 143KJ of energy (a 3300-lb sled impacting a vehicle at 31 mph). In other words, the Sentra’s occupants faced 379% of the force they’d have experienced in the types of crashes cars are side rated for, and this was after a failing side rating. Given the speed of the collision and the lack of airbags and structural integrity of the Sentra, their odds of survival were, sadly, quite small.

However, it is worthy noting that three children did survive the collision. I have to wonder if these children were either restrained in car seats or at the very least buckled in. It is a tragedy that too many children were packed into the vehicle to begin with.

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If you find the information on car safety, recommended car seats, and car seat reviews on this car seat blog helpful, you can shop through this Amazon link for any purchases, car seat-related or not. Canadians can shop through this link for Canadian purchases.