Graco Snugride Click Connect 40 Infant Car Seat Review

June 17, 2015 Mike

Graco has been making quality car seats for a long time, and in recent months I’ve had the chance to review the Contender, a great budget convertible seat, as well as the Size4Me 65, its close relative and another one of my favorite budget convertibles. Today I had the chance to write up my thoughts on their best infant seat, the Snugride Click Connect 40. In short, it’s a great little seat that you can use to rear-face your infants and toddlers until they hit either 40 pounds or 35 inches, which means it’s going to get almost all kids to 2 years of age. I like it; let’s take a closer look!

2015 Graco Snugride Click Connect 40 – What’s the big deal?

The Graco Snugride Click Connect 40 distinguishes itself in a sea of infant car seats by being one of only a handful with the potential to be used well past the first year of life. My personal favorite infant car seat, the Kiddy Evolution Pro, leads the pack by being usable well past age 2 due to its exceptional 37″ height limit. However, the Click Connect 40 does a great job in its own right by allowing you to continue to rear-face until your child weighs not only 40 pounds but is 35″ tall.

The Click Connect 40 features a seat belt lock off in case your vehicle doesn’t come with one, a no-rethread harness to make adjusting harness height a simple affair, and a generous range of 8 recline positions to choose from. It also includes an infant insert for newborns as well as a premature infant pillow insert to be used with infants at the lower end of its 4 pound minimum weight range. Being an infant seat, it’s designed to be used rear-facing only, and can be used from the day your child leaves the hospital, although as I’ve discussed here, you can also use convertible seats if you choose to.

If you choose to use an infant seat like the Click Connect 40, you’ll still want to buy a convertible seat down the road (the Contender is a great option if you want to stay within the Graco line on a budget) so you can get more time rear-facing. The primary advantage of starting with an infant seat like the Click Connect 40 over a convertible seat is that it’s going to be a lot lighter and easier to install.

Buy the 2015 Graco Snugride Click Connect 40 on Sale at Amazon here.

Graco Snugride Click Connect 40 Limits for Weight and Height

Rear-facing: 4 to 40 pounds. Your child must be fewer than 35″ tall. The shell height itself is 20″ tall when the head support has been fully extended, and the top of your child’s head must not come within 1″ of the top of the head support, which is a standard rule in most infant seats. There is an infant insert that must be used if your baby weighs fewer than 12 pounds pounds.

Even though most states still unfortunately allow children to legally forward face once they turn 1 (except for New Jersey!), as a fan of The Car Crash Detective, I hope you aim for more time rear-facing, until 2, 3, or even 4 if possible, the way our fellow Swedish parents do. Why? Because rear facing is the safest position for children.

Once your child has outgrown the Click Connect 40, she or he will need a convertible seat in order to keep rear-facing. I’ve made it a goal of mine to review the best convertibles on the market here.

Dimensions and Lifespan of the Graco Snugride Click Connect 40

The Maxi-Cosi Mico Max 30 weighs 9.4 pounds by itself and another 8 pounds when you add the base. It’s not the lightest infant seat I’ve reviewed, but considering the fact that it’ll last longer than almost all of those I’ve reviewed, that’s not bad at all. The lowest harness position is 5″ with the infant insert in place. The shell height is quite decent for an infant seat at 20.”

The seat has a 7 year lifespan, and the clock starts ticking on the date it was manufactured. After that, you will need to buy a new car seat (and here’s why). You can find the date when the seat was manufactured in two places: beneath the seat itself on a white sticker that also includes the model number, and on the seat base on another white sticker. Seven years after that date, you’ll need to get rid of the seat.

Due to its narrow width at 18″, the Click Connect 40 is a good choice for 3 across car seat installations in a range of vehicles.

Using the Graco Snugride Click Connect 40

Installation with base: base description

The Click Connect 40 comes with 8 recline settings as well as a recline angle indicator with the typical 3 color system. Light blue is the only appropriate color code for infants between 0 and 3 months. Light or dark blue can be used once children are at least 3 months old, and the red section should never be visible while the seat is correctly installed.

The base itself is quite large compared to most infant seat bases, and it will make it difficult to take advantage of all recline positions if you’re in a small or shorter vehicle. My 3 across guide discusses vehicles that will make 3 across feasible and also notes vehicles that will make it more or less difficult to get the front to back space you’re looking for. In general, minivans (e.g., the Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna, or Kia Sedona) will give you the best amount of front-to-back room, while mini or subcompact cars will give you the least.

Installation with base: LATCH and seat belt

You can either use the lower LATCH anchors or your vehicle’s seat belt system to install the Click Connect 40. Remember that using both is never an option. If you choose a seat belt installation, the red lock of system that’s built into the base is required; it keeps you from having to lock your vehicle’s seat belts. To use it, you simply thread the seat belt over the red lock off while it’s in its open position, tighten the belt, and then close the lock off. You won’t have to lock the belt by pulling it all the way out, the way you normally would, thanks to the lock off. Afterward, of course, you’ll want to make sure your side to side movement at the belt path is less than an inch, in order to avoid making one of the most common mistakes parents make with car seats (not installing seats tightly enough in their vehicles).

If you want to use your LATCH lower anchors, you can do so. Push-on connectors are used, and it’s a snap (ha!) to attach them. Keep in mind that you’re not allowed to borrow anchors with the Click Connect 40; you have to use the ones that were designed for the seat on which you’re installing the car seat.

A number of parents ask me through email whether to use LATCH or seat belts for their car seat installations.Between LATCH and seat belt installations, I prefer LATCH installations when dealing with individual seats because it’s usually faster than seat belt installations, but I prefer seat belt installations when installing seats side by side, such as when attempting 3 across installations, simply because it gives you much more space to get the job done. Each is equally safe. The main issue to watch out for with LATCH is that you’re within the combined child and seat weight limits for your vehicle’s LATCH system. If you use seat belts, you don’t have to ever worry about that.

Installation without base

Baseless installations are possible with the Click Connect 40, as they are with almost every infant seat on the market. Why would you want to install an infant seat without a base? It’s handy during emergencies, taxis, and other travel situations when the base might not be available. In these cases, you always use the seat belt. To get the proper recline, you’ll want to refer to a red line on one side of the seat that’s supposed to be parallel to your vehicle’s floor. It’s worth practicing an installation at home before trying to do it in a strange vehicle.

Child Fit

I tried the Click Connect 40 with a variety of training dolls and children and it did a great job with just about all of them. Because the harness height starts at 5,” infant inserts are available, and the crotch positions are adjustable, it’s a very flexible seat for infants of all sizes. Regarding the infant insert, you don’t need to use it all the way to 12 pounds if the harness is either at or below your child’s shoulders and your baby has an overall proper fit without it. Remember that the harness retaining clip should be parallel to your child’s armpits and that you shouldn’t be able to pinch the harness straps at the shoulders when sufficiently tight. Removable harness pads are also included.

On the upper end of the height and weight range, I was able to fit a few toddlers slightly past age 2 in the Click Connect 40. Both kids were around 25 to 27 pounds in weight and around 34 to 35 inches in height, and were close to 2.5 years of age. That’s a long, long time to be able to use an infant seat, and it felt like a very long time when I tried carrying the seat around. That said, if you’ve got a stroller that fits the seat (and I’ve got lots of stroller reviews here), you wouldn’t need to worry about the weight.

Additional goodies

Additional features present in the Click Connect 40 include a kick plate built into the base. It’s not the most important feature to have in a seat, but you might find it helpful if you’ve got an older infant or a toddler capable of reaching the back part of the vehicle seat, as the kick plate can keep your child from dirtying the seat with muddy or wet shoes. The no-rethread harness included in the Click Connect 40 is another bonus; all you have to do is squeeze a pair of red tabs and then push the harness up or down until it’s either at the same height as your child’s shoulders or slightly below them.

Buy the 2015 Graco Snugride Click Connect 40 on Sale at Amazon here.

Why Buy the Graco Snugride Click Connect 40?

When it comes to infant car seats, there are a ton to choose from in the United States today, from the safe and popular Chicco KeyFit 30 to what I consider the best infant seat on the market today, the Kiddy Evolution Pro. The best reasons to base purchasing decisions on car seats, in my opinion, involve how well the seats do keeping children safe. For me, that starts with rear-facing.

Every child, barring those with extremely special needs, such as very premature infants who might need infant beds, should start out rear-facing in either an infant seat or in a convertible seat in the rear-facing position. I prefer starting out with infant seats since they’re lighter and since you can install multiple bases to effortlessly move seats from one vehicle to the next.

Infant seats also make it much easier to transfer sleeping infants from the vehicle to the home, or vice versa. That said, no infant seat, not even the best available today in the United States, the Kiddy Evolution Pro, will get your child to age 4, which is where I believe we need to aim for when it comes to rear-facing, the way the Swedes do. To get to 4, you’re going to need to switch to a convertible seat somewhere along the way; I’ve reviewed plenty of these here.

However, even though it won’t get you to 4, the Click Connect 40 will get you farther than any other infant seat on the market aside from the Evolution Pro, and it will do so while making it easy to achieve a safe installation, which is key when you consider how many car seats are improperly installed each day. I also like the fact that the Click Connect 40 includes a no-rethread harness to make harness adjustments easier, that it’s approved for airplane use by the FAA, and that it’s 3-across friendly.

I’m also a big fan of the infant insert and of how easy it makes it to achieve a safe fit for premature infants and small babies. I heartily recommend the Graco Click Connect 40, and you can buy it here in Fern and Azalea.You can buy an extra base here. Unfortunately, it’s not available in Canada, but the closest Canadian equivalent I’d recommend is the KeyFit 30, available 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.

Leaving the hospital with your baby: Which car seat?

June 14, 2015 Mike

The Car Crash Detective explains laws on transporting infants and newborns in car seats. — Whether you give birth in a hospital, birthing center, at home, or anywhere else, you can use a convertible car seat to transport your newborn.

One of the more common questions I get from new parents by email involves which kinds of car seats can be used to bring their babies home from the hospital (or birthing center), or if car seats are required at all. Many of these parents hear things from well-intentioned people that aren’t necessarily true, such as that you can’t leave the hospital without a car seat, or that you can’t leave the hospital with a convertible car seat, or that only an infant car seat that only rear-faces is allowed when you want to take your newborn home. You might have heard one or more of these things from pediatricians, baby store employees, or even hospital staff. However, none of it’s true. Let’s talk about what is.

What are US state laws and Canadian provincial laws regarding car seat use for children and newborns?

The laws from all 50 states, as well as those in the District of Columbia, and in every province in Canada, require children to use car seats at different ages. However, when it comes to newborns, there are no states, provinces, or districts that require those seats to be rear-facing only, or infant seats. The actual laws may talk about children rear-facing for certain amounts of time, such as until a year old and 20 pounds. Some other laws merely state an appropriate seat must be used, or that a seat must be used properly. However, there are no states or provinces that require seats for newborns to only face backwards.

What if the hospital tells you that you can’t leave with your baby unless your baby is in an infant seat, and that convertibles aren’t allowed?

The 4Ever Extend2Fit is a perfectly valid seat for a newborn.

In some cases, you might run into a hospital with a policy involving children leaving the maternity ward in infant seats. These policies aren’t typically set in stone and are often just recommendations based on what the nurses often see other parents doing. To play nicely, you can simply state that your spouse or partner will bring your newborn to your vehicle. Alternatively, your support person could also bring your convertible into the hospital for the staff to inspect.

What hospital staff are generally trying to do here is to keep children from being dropped by exhausted mothers on the way out of the hospital, rather than trying to enforce the use of a particular seat. They might also simply be trying to make sure you have your infant buckled into his or her seat safely, in terms of the harness being appropriately tight and the chest clip being at the appropriate height.

Can a hospital keep you from leaving without an infant seat?

A Clek Fllo or Foonf with an insert works perfectly well for an infant.

Absolutely not. Regardless of hospital policies, there isn’t any legal grounds for keeping you from leaving based on the kind of seat you’re using unless it’s clearly unsafe (e.g., if it were broken in two). However, it’s best to try to resolve such disagreements as amicably as possible, rather than getting into shouting matches with staff. Simply state your rights to leave with your child and be firm, but polite.

The hospital does not have a legal right to keep you from leaving with your child if you have a properly fitting and installed car seat. If the hospital continues to insist on keeping your child, you have the right to call the police and request a police escort to your vehicle. This should only be done as a means of last resort for the sake of maintaining a good relationship with the hospital, but it’s definitely within your legal rights to do so.

What if I don’t have a car, and am walking or taking the bus? Can I leave the hospital without any kind of car seat?

The short answer is yes. Again, you’re likely to get a lot of concern from the hospital, but you are certainly allowed to walk out of a hospital carrying your baby (or ideally, having your spouse or partner carrying your baby) without any kind of car seat if you’re not getting into a passenger vehicle. Buses and trains are fine, as they are substantially larger than passenger vehicles and typically don’t come with restraint methods anyway.

What if I’m leaving in a taxi? Do I still need a car seat?

Absolutely! Taxis count as passenger cars, and you’re required to use the same kinds of restraints with children throughout the same age ranges as you would in a car, minivan, pickup truck, or SUV. My biggest recommendation for a good car seat for a taxi is one that’s light. If you’re using a taxi, you’re most likely going to be walking at least a little bit, whether to your taxi or from your taxi to your destination, and every additional pound is one you’re not going to want to carry. That means going with infant seats over convertible seats. Examples of very light infant seats include the Maxi-Cosi Mico Max 30 at 8.9 pounds and the Cybex Aton 2 at 9 pounds. Your spouse or partner will thank you, or you’ll thank yourself, every time you use one of these.

Which recommended car seats are safest for leaving the hospital?

The truth is that any seat, whether an infant seat or a convertible seat, can safely be used to transport a baby from a hospital. What’s most important is that the seat is properly installed (remember to avoid the common error of not installing the seat tightly enough), that it’s rear-facing, that it hasn’t expired (another common parental error with car seats), and that it fits your child by weight and height. If your seat passes all of those tests, then it’s a safe seat. Also remember that if it’s cold outside, you’ll need to think differently about keeping your infant warm in winter.

That said, my favorite infant seat right now is the Chicco KeyFit 30, simply because it’s relatively inexpensive and easy to install, which increases the odds of a safe installation. My favorite convertible car seat right now is the Clek Fllo with the infant-thingy insert due to its class-leading rear-facing capabilities. If you were choosing between the two, I’d go with the Fllo, simply because you’ll be able to use it much longer while rear-facing and because you’ll also be able to use it for a while forward-facing.

Do you recommend starting with an infant seat or with a convertible car seat?

If you want the trusty KeyFit, that's just fine too. — If you want the trusty KeyFit, that’s just fine too.

This is a great question, and it ultimately comes down to your needs and preferences. With our children, we’ve always started out with infant seats, simply because those are much easier to attach and detach than even the easiest convertible seats due to coming with a base that can stay in the vehicle at all times. With an infant seat, you simply connect it and disconnect it when entering and leaving the vehicle, and you can remove a sleeping infant from a vehicle without waking him or her. Sleep is very precious when you’re a new parent, and no matter how many kids you’ve had already, when you’ve got a newborn in the house, you’re always a new parent. So I like infant seats due to the convenience they offer. They’re also a handy way to carry infants, even though my wife and I much prefer baby-wearing or using a stroller with a bassinet or at the very least, a deep recline. You can read Susie’s reviews of her favorite single and double strollers here.

I have more questions…help!

I hope this has helped clear up some of the confusion about when you do and don’t need a car seat to leave a hospital or birthing or midwife center with your newborn baby. If you’ve still got more questions about specific situations or additional transportation options, feel free to shoot me an email; I get several a day from parents asking all kinds of questions, and I do my best to respond within a few days in between testing seats and strollers, researching car safety, and spending time with my wonderful family. Alternatively, for a faster response, ask a question on our forum, and you’ll get answers from any of our members!

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!

3 Across Installations: Which Car Seats Fit a Mercedes E-Class?

June 9, 2015 Mike

The Mercedes E-Class sedan is the safest car you can buy today in the United States as measured by side impact resistance ratings, and one of the three safest cars you can buy as measured by actual driver death rates. I’ve written about side impact ratings and ranked the best cars for surviving side collisions here, as well as the safest cars for families in terms of driver survival here, and the E-Class tops the side impact list today and has topped the driver survival studies in the past.

Since this blog is all about safety, this makes the E-Class one of my favorite cars to talk about. It competes with other large luxury cars like the Audi A6, Volvo S80, Acura RSX, and BMW 5-series, as well as with its smaller sibling the C-Class. Lots of folks buy it because of the prestige it commands, but it’s also a good family car if, like me, your absolute priority is keeping your little ones safe. Let’s see how it does when it comes to 3 across car seat compatibility. First, though, it’s always worth reviewing best practices in terms of which kinds of seats should be used and when.

First of all, car seat safety begins with rear-facing. You’ll want to keep infants and very young children rear-facing as long as possible (ideally until 4!), before forward-facing them in harnessed convertible or combination seats (ideally until 8!), and then keeping them in high-back boosters until they’re ready to use adult seat belt systems (which typically happens between 10 and 12). The goal is to keep your little ones safely restrained to give them the best odds of surviving a crash, and these recommendations are designed with survival in mind.

With those guiding principles in mind, I went about testing the E-Class sedans I had access to (an E 350) with convertible, infant, and combination seats to see which 3 across combinations were most feasible. Fortunately, there are several combinations that will work with the E-Class. If you find the list helpful when shopping for car seats, you can shop through my Amazon link below. I’ll add more seats as I test them over time.

You can access the complete 3 across guide for every vehicle here and the complete list of recommended seats here. The Canadian car seat guide is here. 3 across car seat images are courtesy of Wikipedia.

2017 Mercedes E-Class (W213)

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian R120 (x3).

Diono Radian RXT (x3).

Diono Radian R100 (x3).

Chicco KeyFit 30 (x3).

Graco Size4Me 65 (x3).

Graco Contender (x3).

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Clek Fllo, Diono Radian / RXT, Diono Radian / RXT.

Clek Fllo,Graco Size4Me 65, Graco Size4Me 65.

Clek Fllo, Graco Size4Me 65, Diono Radian / RXT.

Tips and Tricks:

The current generation of the Mercedes E-Class is just under 194 inches long and 73 inches wide, which is almost identical to its dimensions in the previous generation. It’s also rather comparable to what you’re going to see in most other high-end (but not super-high-end) luxury cars on the market right now (e.g., the 5 Series, the A6, Q70, etc). As with many other luxury cars, in other words, you’re not going to have too much space to work with, although you’ll definitely have enough for some of the more common seat arrangements.

With that in mind, you can still get a number of solid installations, especially if you make use of your seat belts instead of the LATCH systems. To make things as easy as possible, I’d just go with the Fllo for everything rear-facing and a Radian or Graco seat for forward-facing, given their narrowness.

2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 Mercedes E-Class (W212)

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian R120 (x3).

Diono Radian RXT (x3).

Diono Radian R100 (x3).

Graco Size4Me 65 (x3).

Graco Contender (x3).

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Clek Fllo, Diono Radian / RXT, Diono Radian / RXT.

Clek Fllo,Graco Size4Me 65, Graco Size4Me 65.

Clek Fllo, Graco Size4Me 65, Diono Radian / RXT.

Tips and Tricks:

The W212 generation of the Mercedes E-Class is 192 inches long and 73 inches wide, which is about what you can expect in most mid-sized family cars (think Ford Fusion), rather than large ones (e.g., a Ford Taurus). As with many other luxury cars, in other words, you’re not going to have too much space to work with, although you’ll definitely have enough for some of the more common seat arrangements. Practically-speaking, though, your interior space will be about identical to that of an Accord or a Camry.

3 Across Installations: Which Car Seats Fit a Chevrolet Traverse?

June 4, 2015 Mike

The Chevrolet Traverse, or Chevy Traverse, as it’s often known, is one of the General Motors large Lambda SUVs, along with its twins the GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave, and now discontinued Saturn Outlook. Together they form a collection of the most popular large SUVs sold today in the United States. The Traverse competes with other giant SUVs like the Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Toyota Sequoia, and Nissan Armada among families who need–or simply want–something larger than a, say, Honda Pilot or Toyota Highlander, but who aren’t looking to spend as much money as they would in the luxury segment with a Mercedes Benz GL-Class SUV. They’re more bread and butter large SUVs.

I had the pleasure of fitting a range of car seats into the Traverse’s GMC twin, the Acadia, last Memorial Day. However, I ran out of time before I had to return it and still had a number of seats left to test. Fortunately, I borrowed a Traverse this past week and have been putting it through its paces. Being essentially the same vehicle with very slight interior and exterior trim changes, this list features all of the initial 3 across installations I got to work in the Acadia as well as a number of new ones I puzzled together in the Traverse. Before looking at the results, though, it’s worth reviewing which kinds of seats are appropriate for kids at different age ranges.

First of all, I suggest rear-facing from day one until you can’t anymore. Rear-facing is the way to go even if it takes you through the preschool years (ideally until 4!). Once you can’t fit your child in a rear-facing seat anymore, forward-face him or her in harnessed convertible or combination seats (ideally until 8!). Once your children outgrow their harnessed seats, it’s best to keep them restrained in high-back boosters until they’re physically and psychologically ready to use adult seat belt systems (which typically happens between 10 and 12). The overriding goal is safety, which comes from using certain kinds of seats at certain times.

With all that out of the way, here’s what I found in a nutshell: the Traverse is a huge SUV, which means you’re going to get most of your potential installations to work if you’re patient and make use of the strategies I suggest below.

The list isn’t complete, but it’s my goal to make it as complete as possible over time. If you find the list helpful when shopping for car seats, you can shop through my Amazon link below. I’ll add more seats as I test them over time.

You can access the complete 3 across guide for every vehicle here and the complete list of recommended seats here. The Canadian car seat guide is here. 3 across car seat images here are courtesy of Wikipedia.

2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 Chevrolet Traverse

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT (x3).

Britax Boulevard ClickTight, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Boulevard G4.1, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Marathon ClickTight, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Marathon G4.1, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Boulevard ClickTight, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Pavilion G4, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Diono Radian / RXT, Chicco KeyFit 30, Graco TurboBooster.

Diono Radian / RXT, Diono Radian / RXT, Graco TurboBooster.

Britax Boulevard ClickTight, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Boulevard G4.1, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Marathon ClickTight, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Marathon G4.1, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Boulevard ClickTight, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Pavilion G4, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Tips and Tricks:

The current and only generation of the Chevrolet Traverse is 201 inches long and 78 inches wide, which means you’re going to be able to fit most seats you can think of in 3 across installations with enough effort and a bit of planning. However, there are a few things to be aware of that can make the job significantly easier or more difficult, depending on how you approach them.

First of all, if you have a 3 across setup in the 2nd row, it’s going to be very difficult for anyone to access the 3rd row. You might want to install only a pair of seats in the 2nd row and then another 2 or 3 in the 3rd row if you need to install or use more than 3 car seats on a regular basis.

Second, the biggest challenge in 3 across setups in the 2nd row will be fitting a pair of seats on the driver and center vehicle seats, as there’s a 60/40 split to deal with. Once you overcome that, just about any car seat will fit on the passenger end.

Third, there’s only one top tether anchor available in the 3rd row for forward-facing seats, which means that you won’t want to have more than one forward-facing seat at a time in the 3rd row if at all possible (see here for why tethering forward-facing seats is essential).

Remember, as always, to use seat belt installations instead of LATCH to maximize available space.

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Three Killed in Sedro-Wooley, WA in Car vs. Car Crash

June 1, 2015 Mike

Who:

Fredrick Brand, 65; Nicole A. Washington, 23; Megan L. Brown, 21 lost their lives at around 5:10 AM on Friday, 5/30/14, in Sedro-Wooley, Washington on State Route Highway 20, close to E Hamilton Cemetery Rd. Alfred Navarro Jr, 19, the driver of the Audi, was also seriously injured with a broken arm and leg, as was Quinnton A. Baxter, 22. Brand was in a 2006 Ford Fusion while all other individuals were in a 1998 Audi A4 that crossed the center line in Skagit County. Brand was marred and a father of 3, and was likely workbound at the time of the crash.

How:

Per police reports, the A4 was eastbound on Highway 20. It crossed the center line into the path of a westbound Fusion, killing Brand, Washington, and Brown. Per troopers, beer cans and bottles were found in the A4 and alcohol is a potential factor. The A4 rolled over as a result of the collision and landed in a ditch. Navarro Jr. was later found to be high on marijuana and alcohol and fled from his hospital with family assistance after being checked out by his parents. He has a prior DUI charge that was dropped as well as a prior charge of eluding police, and has been charged in this case with vehicular homicide and assault. He was later apprehended, charged, and pled not guilty.

Why:
This is another sad case of alcohol, speeding, and driver error leading to a preventable collision.

The 2006 Fusion weighs 3386 lbs and comes with an “acceptable” IIHS frontal score. Every subscore was good besides right leg scores, which were poor. It was impacted by a 1998 A4 that weighs between 3100 and 3500 lbs. As a result, weight differences were negligible. As the A4 is essentially a fancy Passat and the 1998 Passat had a “good” frontal score, we can assume the A4 would have had one too.

Given the likely speeds of the collision (~65 mph, judging by the destruction of the Fusion’s engine bay), the collision likely imparted at least 648KJ of energy into the Fusion / A4. The Fusion frontal impact test simulates 245KJ of energy (a Fusion impacting another at 40 mph). In other words, the Fusion faced 264% of the force it would have experienced in the type of crash the vehicle was rated for. Given these forces, survival odds were low, though still possible. I suspect the deaths of the victims in the A4 were due to sitting in the front of the vehicle, and that the survivors sat in the rear.

This is another senseless tragedy that could have been prevented if individuals took driving as seriously as it merits. Unfortunately, young adults are more likely to drink, speed, and drive carelessly, especially when several are combined in the same vehicle, and it appears these risk factors were all in effect that morning, leading to the loss of three lives.

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35,000 Americans will die this year on the road. You don't have to be one of them. A car seat and car safety blog to promote best practices for families.