Tech Update – April 2009

NHTSA’s Response to Review of Federal Standards for Child Safety

March 2, 2009: NHTSA responded to a widely publicized news report on crash tests of infant seats as follows:

“At the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the safety of infants and children is vitally important.

That is why parents and caregivers alike can be assured that correctly placing your child in a safety seat in the rear of the vehicle is absolutely the best protection against serious or fatal injury in a crash.

Every single child seat on the market today meets our rigorous safety standards, without exception. Our standards mean that each and every child seat on the market must withstand a crash test that replicates the forces found in nearly 99 percent of all crashes involving infants. Though current standards are exceedingly tough, the agency is always looking at ways to make highway travel even safer for children. Accordingly, NHTSA has launched a top to bottom review of current child safety seat standards. That review will be swift and thorough. Meanwhile, the parents of America need not be alarmed about the safety of children while riding in the family car.”

Where is the Least Risky Place for Children to Ride?

While it has been clear for some time that children seated in the back have a much lower risk of injury than those seated in the front, there have been questions about the safety of the center-back seat versus the side (window) seats. A 2008 analysis of crash data from the Partners for Child Passenger Safety (PCPS) project of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) found that children from birth through age three years seated in the center rear had a 43 percent lower risk of injury than those in rear-seat side positions. It is important to note that the very low injury risk for all children in a correctly installed child restraint – less than 5 injured children per 1,000 child occupants – indicates remarkable protection for children regardless of their rear seat positions.

Data on actual crash outcomes for restrained children were analyzed to look at seating patterns and serious injuries. Cases included 4,790 crashes of model year 1990 and newer vehicles in which 5,358 children were involved. In these crashes, injuries occurred to 237 children ages newborn to 3. For children seated on the side, the injury risk was 0.27 percent on the passenger side and 0.29 percent on the driver side, an insignificant difference. The risk in the center was 0.17 percent, a reduction of 43 percent compared to the side positions. When compared only to the risk on the struck side, the child in the center had a 54 percent lower risk of injury.*

Seating patterns showed that almost half of the children studied were riding alone in the back seat (48.5 percent), and most others were with one other back-seat passenger (43.0 percent). Overall, about the same numbers were seated in the driver-side and center rear positions (30.6 and 28.2 percent, respectively), while more (41.2 percent) were in the passenger-side rear. When a child was alone in the back seat, he/she was most likely to be restrained in the center rear (41.4 percent). Younger children, who were more likely to be riding rear facing, were more often seated in the center than older children.

The researchers concluded that, if space is available in the center seat and a tight installation is possible, the center back position will provide a lower risk of injury. However, they also reiterated that child restraints (CRs) are very effective at reducing or preventing injury in any rear-seating position, if properly selected and used.

If a child is to ride in a side position, which type of restraint is most protective? Another recent study, summarized in Tech Update Summer 2008, helps answer this question. Research into outcomes for children riding in rear- and forward-facing CRs found that rear-facing CRs had greater protective benefit than forward-facing CRs in side impacts as well as in frontal crashes.

*Editor’s Note: Sitting next to the point of intrusion on the struck side raises the risk of injury for any passenger. Occupant protection in such instances depends in large part on the structure of the vehicle and the presence or absence of side air bags.

Safe Ride News, March/April 2008, SRN July/August 2008

(Articles marked with a double asterisk (**) have been modified with permission from pieces originally published by Safe Ride News Publications and are in the public domain.)

References:

  1. Kallen, Durbin, Arbogast. “Seating Patterns and Corresponding Risk of Injury among 0- to 3-year-old Children in Child Safety Seats.” Pediatrics. 2008: 121; e1342-e1347 (May 2008).
  2. Henary, Sherwood, et al, “Car Safety Seats for Children: Rear Facing for Best Protection.” Injury Prevention. 2007: 13:398–402. (Tech Update, Summer 2008)

Curbside Notes

  • The back seat is safest for children, whether they are in the center or on the side.
  • Encourage use of a child restraint in the center rear if the restraint can be correctly and securely anchored there. Seat contours, center belt anchors spaced very close together, or split seats may make such installation impossible in many vehicles.
  • Assure parents/caregivers of children who must be placed in an outboard position that by using a CR correctly, they are offering excellent protection for their child.
  • Use lower LATCH anchors for installation in the center only if (1) that position is designated as a LATCH position in the vehicle manual or (2) both the CR and vehicle manufacturers allow use of lower anchors in non-designated positions. (Check the 2009 LATCH Manual.)
  • If there is only a lap belt in the center, children in boosters should never be positioned there. Larger children using the seat belt system should use a lap belt only as a last resort if there are no other positions with lap-shoulder belts.
  • If there is a tether on a forward-facing CR, always locate and use the appropriate tether anchor, whether the child is sitting in the center or outboard position.

Harness/Vest Tools for Techs

  • NHTSA’s Child Passenger Safety Restraint Systems in School Buses National Training curriculum. Contact your state highway safety office to order the curriculum.
  • 2007 National Child Passenger Safety Certification Training Student Manual. Limited school bus use information is available in Chapter 13; vests and harnesses are referenced in Chapter 7. Go to www.cpsboard.org; click on “training” at the top of the page; then click on “Training Manuals.”
  • “Untangling Harnesses and Vests” in the Advocates Professionals section of the Safe Ride News Publications website, www.saferidenews.com.
  • 2009 LATCH Manual. This significantly revised edition contains a new, detailed chapter dedicated to transporting children safely on school buses and features the use of harnesses and vests in those vehicles. Appendix A contains information on LATCH and tethers for all child restraint manufacturers, including harnesses/vests.
  • The Ohio Goodwill/Easter Seals Special Needs website, www.ohiokidsareridingsafe.org, provides information on many conditions that require the use of vests and/or harnesses.
  • Healthcare/hospital special needs e-mail listserv: CPSforHealthcare: subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
  • General special needs e-mail listserv: sign up by contacting jyonkman@clarian.org at National Center for the Safe Transportation of Children with Special Healthcare Needs.

Other Tools for Techs

Forward-facing CR Issues Overlooked

We all have car seat check days that are just too busy. There are long lines, lots of changes to make, and endless documentation. Sound like your normal day? On days like these, everyone needs a little reminder of things that sometimes may be forgotten when educating parents/ caregivers.

Correct belt path for LATCH attachments. Check convertible or all-in-one child restraints for the correct belt path location of lower attachments. Often, such products are sold with the LATCH attachments factory-set for the rear-facing position. If a parent/caregiver purchases the product to use forward-facing for a larger child, he/she may not realize that these attachments must be rethreaded through a different belt path. Always read manufacturer instructions to correctly move lower attachments from the rear-facing belt path to the forward-facing belt path. Lift the padding to see how the attachments are routed. If lower attachments are incorrectly routed, they may interfere with the hip straps. If the LATCH strap is in front of the harness, the harness may not tighten correctly, and the installation will not be tight.

Tether Anchor (TA) retrofitting. Adding tether anchors to pre-LATCH vehicles can provide a safety benefit for children. The 2009 LATCH Manual contains current documentation for all manufacturer-sponsored free or low-cost tether retrofit programs for Chrysler, GM, Ford, and Toyota brands.

Other vehicle dealerships usually charge for tether anchor retrofitting. Local independent mechanics and mechanically minded parents/caregivers may be able to install tether anchors themselves in many vehicle models, but they need guidance on where to install the tether anchor, what materials are needed, and how to do the actual installation. Note: identify vehicle shops to which you can refer families needing TAs installed.

Use of an upright versus reclined position. Some, but not all, manufacturers allow a semi-reclined position for forward-facing installations. Always read manufacturer instructions. Inform parents/caregivers that the lower cushions of most vehicle seats have a built-in slope, which produces some recline for the child, so most children usually can nap even if the CR is not reclined.

Never place anything, such as a pool noodle, rolled towel, newspaper, or other object under or behind a forward-facing child restraint. Some child-restraint manufacturers allow one thin towel to be placed on the vehicle seat to protect the upholstery before installing the child restraint.

Weight limits for tether and lower anchors. Weight limits vary widely and may not be listed in the vehicle owner’s manual. Some have changed recently. Point this information out to parents, and write it down or circle it if it is noted in their owner’s manual.

Use of a seat belt as a tether anchor. This practice was more common before tether anchors were required in vehicles. Some CR and vehicle manufacturers do not allow this use. Safe Ride News Publications recently conducted a survey of manufacturers asking if they wanted this information regarding seat belt use printed in the 2009 LATCH Manual, Appendix B, Manufacturer Vehicle Notes section. Refer to this section whenever considering the use of a seat belt behind a specific seating row as a tether anchor. Refer to Appendix A for specific CR manufacturers’ recommendations.

Entanglement issues. Press reports over the past few years indicate that at least one child has died and several have been nearly strangled when they pulled an unused lap-shoulder belt all the way out, engaging the switchable retractor, and then wrapped the belt around their necks. This could happen if a child is able to reach an unused lap-shoulder belt. Although this is not a common scenario, suggestions to prevent this kind of tragedy include:

  • Encourage caregivers to teach children not to play with seat belts, and to try to be aware of what is happening in the back seat.
  • Suggest caregivers offer soft toys for children to play with to keep little hands busy, or use music to keep them entertained.
  • Help caregivers know if their vehicle belts have switchable retractors and learn how to use them for their intended function.
  • Note that special belt cutters, which are required as standard emergency equipment on smaller buses, are available. If a parent/caregiver has concerns about the entanglement issue, a belt cutter can be purchased and stored in a glove compartment for possible emergencies.
  • Some manufacturers recommend that unused lap-shoulder belts be buckled and locked before installing a forward-facing child restraint with LATCH, and some also recommend this practice for an adjacent seating position with a lap-shoulder belt. This should only be done if the buckled seat belt does not interfere with the LATCH anchor use.
  • Refer to the www.nhtsa.dot.gov website for the pamphlet, “Keeping Kids Safe: Inside and Out.”

Using LATCH with Boosters

In the NHTSA, “LATCH—the Next Generation,” campaign materials, the agency states that using boosters with LATCH is primarily a convenience factor for parents/caregivers. Using the LATCH anchors to secure the booster to the vehicle seat helps to stabilize the booster for a child who is climbing in and out of it and prevents an unoccupied booster from becoming a projectile during a crash. Boosters are tested with only the lap-shoulder belt holding the dummy, so LATCH use is not required.

Not every manufacturer allows this use, and only some boosters (as well as all combination CRs) come with LATCH attachments. Booster instructions must be read to determine if it is appropriate to use either the top tether or the lower LATCH attachments for a particular product. In a particular vehicle, it would not be appropriate to use the LATCH anchors if they interfere with proper positioning of the lap-shoulder belt.

The LATCH Working Group (joint manufacturers’ committee) has determined that vehicle manufacturer weight limits for lower anchors do not apply when they are being used to anchor a booster. The restraint for the child is provided by the lap-shoulder belt, not the LATCH anchors; thus, there is no excessive force applied to the LATCH anchors. (Letter from LATCH Working Group to Acting NHTSA Administrator, David Kelly, December 4, 2008.)

Checking Seat Belt Fit with Boosters

A recent study released by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) in Status Report (October 2008) shows the results of testing boosters for correct lap and shoulder belt fit, using a dummy that represents the average six-year-old child. Using a range of model years 2001–2006 vehicles, 41 booster models were tested to determine if the lap belt fit properly across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt crossed the mid-point of the shoulder. Correct lap belt fit prevents or reduces abdominal injuries, and correct shoulder belt fit reduces discomfort on the neck, which often leads a child to place the shoulder belt behind his back or under his arm. Booster designs were found to offer a wide range of belt fit. Even though the report indicated some boosters did not fit correctly according to the researchers’ fit test, this may or may not be an indicator of crash performance.

Curbside Notes

  • Remind parent/caregivers that not every booster will fit every child properly; not every booster will fit in the vehicle the same way, and not every belt system will work the same way with a particular booster.
  • Suggest that when choosing a booster, the child should sit in it to try it out in the vehicle to check the lap and shoulder belt fit before the purchase is made, if possible.
  • Demonstrate correct lap-shoulder belt fit for parents/caregivers.
  • Refer to the 2007 National Child Passenger Safety Certification Training Student Manual, Chapter 11, “Children in Booster Seats” and Chapter 12, “Kids in Seat Belts,’ p. 188.

CPS Board – Your Link to CPS Resources

The National Child Passenger Safety Board (NCPSB) was established to provide assistance and technical guidance to states, communities, and organizations as they strive to create and maintain their child passenger training and certification programs. NCPSB’s website, www.cpsboard.org, is intended to be a site that can be used by CPS technicians and instructors as a primary resource to obtain information and updates on NCPSB, the standardized CPS curriculum, certification, and re-certification. NCPSB encourages all technicians and instructors to become familiar with the information and resources available through www.cpsboard.org. As readers know, one key resource on www.cpsboard.org is Tech Update (TU). This quarterly newsletter is a publication that all techs should read to help keep themselves and their programs up to date. Only a small portion of all CPS techs are signed up to receive notices from the website about TU. NCPSB urges readers to tell their colleagues about the child passenger safety news, technical updates, and CEUs available through Tech Update.

Sign Up for Free Recertification Drawing

Join the listserv at www.cpsboard.org and the team of Techs and Instructors who read Tech Update for CEUs. This makes you eligible to WIN a free CPS recertification from Safe Kids Worldwide—a $40 or $60 Value!

  1. If you have not done so already, sign up for the e-mail list for automatic notification of updates to the cpsboard.org website: www.cpsboard.org/elist.htm.
  2. Read two issues of TU, and take the quizzes found on the “Online Recertification CEUs” page: www.cpsboard.org/ceus.htm. Maintain and file quizzes for proof of participation.
  3. Twice each year, in June and December, the CPS Board will draw the e-mail address of one technician or instructor who is signed up for the cpsboard.org e-mail automatic notification list.
  4. The winner will be contacted by e-mail and asked to present within one month proof of two completed quizzes.
  5. Each winner will have the $40 or $60 fee paid for her/his next recertification, when all other requirements for recertification are completed. We thank Safe Kids Worldwide for making this possible.

Save the Date!

  • 2009 Kidz in Motion (KIM) Conference
    • August 29–31, 2009, Fort Worth, Texas
    • NICU Pre-conference, August 28–29, 2009
    • Technician Toolbox Pre-Conference Session, August 29, 2009
    • Omni Fort Worth Hotel
    • For more information: www.kidzinmotion.org or call 407-306-9824
    • CEUs available (approximately 10 to 15)
    • For more CEU information: kimconf@hiwaay.net.
  • CPS Week 2009
    • Seat Check Saturday, September 12, 2009
    • CPS Week, September 12–18, 2009.

Source: CPS Board TECH UPDATE – Winter 2008

2009 LATCH Quiz

Safe Ride News has published the new 2009 LATCH manual quiz. It may be completed for one CEU (must get at least 8 out of 10 questions correct). Only one LATCH quiz (either 2007 or 2009) may be applied to a certification cycle.

Available at sk.convio.net/site/R?i=3Cd-WhtWF02Yfog6Y6ALQg.

Download the quiz from sk.convio.net/site/R?i=n_wQFaK8lBW8fr1Sm_QMhw and keep the completed quiz for your recertification record and in case you are audited.

Lifesavers 2009 Conference

Lifesavers 2009 Conference was held this year in Nashville, March 29 to April 1, 2009. Handout materials used at workshops can be downloaded at www.lifesaversconference.org/workshops.html.

Program Reminders

Recertification Reminder

CEU types, details, audit requirements go to sk.convio.net/site/R?i=_OTleyPSkr5vDpiBJSsurg.

Re-certification FAQs go to sk.convio.net/site/R?i=iNMnaaro2B9O3rXJwpam3A. You may re-certify up to four months before your certification expiration date. Avoid problems – don’t delay!

Basic re-certification requirements and deadlines:

  • Five seat checks approved by a certified instructor (you may use the technician proxy option). You can do the checks at any time during your certification cycle as long as they are entered online and a certified instructor approves them before your re-certification date. Details at sk.convio.net/site/R?i=sfSdMqxjy3jVEZ79NJv57g.
  • Community education details at sk.convio.net/site/R?i=oqrh93kGPPKjSxTUAcT31Q. Choose one:

    1. Participation in at least one two-hour checkup event with at least one other CPS technician using any standardized checklist to provide documentation, if needed.
    2. Provide at least four hours of community education. Examples include making presentations to parents, educators, kids, organizations (such as PTAs or law enforcement), or other stakeholders who are not technicians.
  • A minimum of six hours of CPS technical continuing education units earned and reported during a current two-year certification cycle.
  • You cannot carry over CEUs from one period to the next, even if you have accumulated more CEUs than are required.
  • You can record CEUs any time during your certification cycle, but they must fit into one of the five approved categories and meet content requirements.

Details at sk.convio.net/site/R?i=8l81tQfsFZ7tBafgMDjsPg.

Register and pay the re-certification fee before your certification expiration date.

To get to the payment screen, you must have:

  1. Completed all five seat checks (entered and CPSTI approved).
  2. Entered at least six CEUs.
  3. Entered your community event information.

Once all three are done, you will see a “Click Here to Continue” button that will take you to the payment screens.

Once your registration is complete, your re-certification will be processed in two to four days. A PowerPoint or PDF with instructions on how to recertify, including screen shots, are available under Resources --> Instructions. Go to sk.convio.net/site/R?i=Bcgfzj1QwKYcBB1rvw8lmQ.

By the Numbers

  • Children Alone in Vehicles
  • CPS Recertification
    • 2008: 43.6 percent
    • 2009: 39.8 percent

Pre-natal and Head Start Presentations Available for Technicians

The Texas AgriLife Extension Service Passenger Safety Project has developed a presentation for certified technicians to present at pre-natal classes. The pre-natal course is designed to inform parents of the correct selection, use, and installation of child safety seats for their newborn.

There is also a presentation on how to safely transport children in Head Start. The course is designed to be taught to a group of Head Start parents, Head Start Policy Council, or administration by a currently certified Child Passenger Safety Technician.

The presentation materials, including the PowerPoint presentation with presenter notes, course planner, handouts, and evaluation, can be found at: fcs.tamu.edu/safety/passenger_safety/certified-tech/index.php.

Five CEUs Available Online from Texas AgriLife Extension Service Passenger Safety

Technicians may earn 5 CEUs by taking an online course posted on the Passenger Safety website. To register, go to: extensiononline.tamu.edu/login.php?CourseId=109.

Nationwide CEU Calendar

To access the calendar:

  1. sk.convio.net/site/R?i=MOCGxGSseme44dU5QVIDyg.
  2. Click on Training Opportunities.
  3. Click on Continuing Education for Certified Technicians.
  4. On the drop-down menu, please select CEU Sessions Nationwide Listing.

Online courses – sk.convio.net/site/R?i=-ptTbQ7bF6sWYs1jNWaZ7g

Provided by: Safe Kids Worldwide and NHTSA

Total available: 2 CEUs (more coming soon!)

Location: sk.convio.net/site/R?i=ThA76isWOikNJNC35aXgKQ

Comments: This new site will be the place to obtain online CEUs on a variety of topics. Currently available: School Buses.

Technicians will register, log in, finish the webinar, and print a certificate of completion. This webinar requires participants to gather information from other sites (links provided) to have a quality learning experience.

** Each webinar is available for download (PDF) for local technical update sessions.

Provided by: The Illinois Department of Transportation

Total available: 4 CEUs

Location: sk.convio.net/site/R?i=qVM8d_2qoKqygTtuGtm_2g

Comments: IL DOT had their CPS Conference professionally taped. Technicians across the nation can get up to four CEUs by viewing the Web streaming and taking the associated quizzes.

Provided by: National Child Passenger Safety Board

Total available: 3 CEUs

Location: sk.convio.net/site/R?i=EFo7Zm871ECt44pUDwiYTA

Comments: Three presentations – one about new child restraints, another combined about boosters and airbags, and a new one called Fact or Fiction. Each presentation is available for download. Details and instructions are available on the Board Web site: sk.convio.net/site/R?i=5CJRW2gnNCznOkcg9vjQFg.

Source: CPS Express, February and March 2009

[back to top]

Last updated: 26 July, 2010

Educational programs of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, or national origin.