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I am a cloth diapering, breastfeeding, cosleeping, baby led weaning, extended rear facing, eco conscious, married mommy to two beautiful children. They have changed my view on the world we live in. It is now my number 1 goal to make it the best I can for them to grow up in. I find myself always rethinking how I want to live my life and often feel like sharing my findings and thoughts with others. So I guess here's my chance :o) I will talk about topics that interest me. If you dont like them or dont agree, well... there's nothing much I can do!

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Car seat safety

Today, I volunteered at a rcmp road side car seat check. I hoped that it would be a very easy going afternoon and that everyone would do great but that definitely wasn't the case.

Some car seats were great. They had actually just gone through a very thorough inspection with St John's Ambulance so there was nothing for us to "fix". I had Miss A's seat inspected almost 2 months ago. Awesome learning experience. These parents were happy we were doing this road side check because they understood the importance of a properly installed seat. I even helped with a complete re installation. The dad was actually quite understanding and appreciative which was nice.

What I don't understand are those who knowingly use the wrong seats. In one case, the baby was obviously way passed the weight limit and she had the other seat but just preferred to use the bucket seat because it was easier to move it from car to car. Just because it's easier doesn't mean it's safe. There's a weight limit for a reason. One van even had 4 unbuckled kids because she jammed everyone in there to bring them to the beach! When the time comes and I have to drive any of Miss A's friends around, you can bet that they will either be in a correctly installed seat or they simply wont come in my car.

Most seats simply needed small fixes such as chest clip raised and straps tightened a bit. Unfortunately, the one thing that really surprised me was that not a single vehicle I saw had a child rear facing passed the age of 1. Some parents must see it as a milestone for their children and I do admit, a forward facing seat is WAY easier to fit in the car! The way I see it, 40 years ago, people normally didn't even bother buckling up when they were in a car. Eventually, research proved the added safety and it became law. Nowadays, it is generally accepted and people just do it. Hopefully parents will accept the research showing the importance of extended rear facing and it will eventually become law and just as accepted. Regardless, Miss A will remain rear facing until she reaches the weight limit of 45lbs for her seat and I encourage everyone to do the same :o)

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