The return of Betty the Bus Equals the return of the rear-facing car seat

I have a love-hate relationship with my mini van, leaning more on the side of hate than the love. Because really, I’m the mom who still dreams of getting my three daughters in the back of a Prius. Nonetheless, it was a long eight weeks that we recently endured while Betty the Bus (our van) was in the shop getting a full body makeover after getting pummeled with egg size hail in April.

In the meantime I drove my husband’s SUV with all three girls across the backseat, all in car seats – no boosters.

You see, I’m kind of a safety nut when it comes to car seats. I like toddlers in rear-facing seats and kids buckled in five point harnesses as long as possible. My take is, if they make a seat to do these things, then someone sees the need to have them on the market. And if I don’t use them, and something were to happen to my kids in a wreck, I could not live with myself knowing I didn’t do everything possible to keep them safe.

So upon the return of the van, it’s not the XM radio, or the DVD player, or the GPS system I’m most happy to have back – it’s having my two-year-old back in her rear-facing car seat. And the peace of mind that comes with it, putting my heart at ease during our daily routines where interstate driving is a must.

Having her rear-facing in the SUV was possible. But it’s not as comfortable as in my van where she is in a bucket seat with the back part reclined to provide more space for her to stretch out her legs. There’s also more cargo room for me and my long legs that go with my  5’9″ body, when her  rear-facing seat is placed behind me. Other arrangement options, with her rear-facing in the SUV, would have included the potential for more back seat fighting between the two big girls if placed next to each other.  Yes I could have put the rear-facing seat in the middle. But that makes passing across the backseat impossible and leads to loading compilations in parking lots where one girl would end up  standing on one side of the car alone.

The issue of scrunched legs in rear-facing car seats, weather you have a sedan, an SUV or a mini van, is something a lot parents worry about. But what I’m talking about here, is a measure of comfort and peace while three children share one backseat. You can read more about the leg issue here, on The Car Seat Lady. She addresses it nicely, from a safety standpoint and assures children’s legs are still safer in a rear-facing seat.

When I put my toddler forward facing in the SUV, I thought I’d only be making an exception for two weeks – but the repairs took A LOT longer than that. Everyday felt risky to me, driving around without her rear-facing seat.

In May the American Association of Pediatrics announced its recommendation (you can read about it here) that toddlers should remain rear-facing until age two, or as  long as their seat allows. In the case of our SUV it was doable, but not so accommodating to three children sharing one backseat. So the bottom line is – I have a new found love for automatic opening doors that magically send kids jumping into the van and a rear-facing car seat that would make my pediatrician proud.

For more about the car seat laws in Tennessee, I’m attaching a guest editorial I wrote for The Tennessean, Nashville’s daily newspaper. It was was published March 28, 2011. Unfortunately the link has expired from the newspaper’s online site.

State’s child safety seat laws must be updated

by Rebecca Simmons

Child restraint laws on the Tennessee books are from 2004, the year I had my first child.

The law – stating babies must ride rear-facing until they are one-year-old and 20 pounds, and that children may be placed in a booster seat at four-years-old and 40 pounds – are officially outdated.

A new policy published by the American Association of Pediatricians March 21 recommends infants and toddlers ride rear-facing until age two. It also states children should ride in a five-point harness forward facing car seat as long as their seat allows and then a booster seat until they reach 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between eight and 12-years-old.

Car accidents are still the number one cause of death for children ages four (the age most parents in Tennessee place a child be a booster seat) and older, according to the AAP. Until 2009 car accidents were the leading cause of death for all children. Now children under age two riding rear-facing are 75 percent less likely to die or be severely injured in a crash as if they were riding forward facing, according to the AAP.

So why not drive on the safe side? There are many car seats on the market now to fit children rear-facing till 40 pounds and even convert to being forward facing up to 65 pounds. My six-year old is 50 pounds and 50 inches. She uses a five-point harness car seat that fits up to 80 pounds.

These seats are on the market for a reason. More people should be urged to use them.

There is a note attached to Tennessee’s current law that states “if a child’s safety seat has a higher rear-facing weight rating, usually 30 or 35 pounds, it may continued to be used in a rear-facing position so long as the child’s weight permits.” The wording needs to change. The “may” should be a must.

Plastic car seats deteriorate

This law is too old. Car seats have changed a lot since 2004. I should know. I have had three babies since then. I have owned 7 car seats and I’ve been a consumer long enough to have two of them expire.

Yes car seats do expire. All car seats come with a Date of Manufacture and depending on the brand, most expire five or six years after that date. This is due to the plastic breaking down after being exposed to extreme heat and cold therefore not performing as intended in a crash. Think about those deteriorating plastic toys in the backyard. The same thing happens to car seats.

Twice a year Babies R Us holds a Safety Week giving clients the chance to save 25 percent on a new car seat when you bring in an old one. Used car seats are sent to the manufacturer to be disposed of properly.

Unlike in 2004, there are now approximately eight car seats available for rear facing toddlers up to 35-40 pounds. One, the Cosco Alpha Omega Elite starts at just $60.00 and is often distributed locally through the health department and other grant funded organizations. Cost doesn’t have to be a factor in safety.

There are also several convertible seats available now that go from a five-point harness to a booster seat when a child is ready. This option closes the gap between a toddler-size car seat to a booster seat. And it could save the lives of four-year-olds being placed in booster seats too early.

So please, use extra caution when you restrain your child and go beyond what the laws are telling us. It’s the best way to keep you child safe in the car.

Rebecca Simmons lives in Knoxville, TN and is an advocate for natural parenting. She shares other tips and stories regarding family life on her blog simplynaturalmom.com.