Kid Safe

I got this in an email today...and I am not sure it is 100% true but I thought I would share anyway!  Can't hurt :)

Let me know your thoughts.

Please do NOT turn on A/C as soon as you enter the car.  Open the  windows after you enter your car and turn ON the air-conditioning after a couple of minutes.

Here's why: According to a research, the car dashboard, sofa, air freshener emit Benzene, a Cancer causing toxin (carcinogen - take time to observe the smell of heated plastic in your car).  In addition to causing cancer, Benzene poisons your bones, causes anemia and reduces white blood cells.  Prolonged exposure will cause Leukemia, increasing the risk of cancer.  May also cause  miscarriage.  Acceptable Benzene level indoors is 50 mg per cu. ft.

A car parked indoors with windows closed will contain 400-800 mg of Benzene.

If parked outdoors under the sun at a temperature above 60 degrees F, the Benzene level goes up to 2000-4000 mg, 40 times the acceptable level... People who get into the car, keeping windows closed will inevitably inhale, in quick succession excessive amounts of the toxin.  Benzene is a toxin that affects your kidney and liver.  What's worse, it is extremely difficult for your body to expel this toxic stuff.

 So friends, please open the windows and door of your car - give time for interior to air out -dispel the deadly stuff - before you enter.

It’s one thing to have a car seat; but it is altogether different to install it properly.  Millions of people have perfectly capable car seats that malfunction because they are installed wrong.  Don’t be one of them!  It really is simple to install a car seat and if you do it right you won’t have to second guess yourself every time you leave the home!

Absolute Must Know Tricks to Installing Car Seats

Whether you are installing an infant seat or a toddler seat, the rules are basically the same.  If you are not going to use the LATCH system and are planning to loop the car’s seat belts through the car seat there are some tricks that will ensure it is tight.

The first thing to do is make sure that your child safety seat sits level on the seat.  If it doesn’t it is acceptable to place a rolled towel under it so that the baby or child is not leaned too far back.  As you bring the car seat belt through the seat’s path make sure to pull out the belt all the way.  This causes the seat belts in most cars to become locked or fixed.  It should make a distinct sound when you pull it out.  Once that is done, loop the belts through the back or bottom of the seat making sure you use the proper space provided.  Connect the belt to the buckle and allow the seat belt to retract all the way in.   After this is done, it is advisable to place your knee using all your weight to push the seat in place and retract the belt eliminating any of the slack.  Test it to make sure that it doesn’t sway side to side or forward and you will see just how tight it is.

How to Use a LATCH System and Belt Clips

At first glance child safety car seats can be confusing.  There are so many belts and buckles you may not know which ones to use.  On the back of the seat it should clearly say which ones are for LATCH (Lower anchors and tethers) and which are for the traditional seat belts.  If you are using the LATCH system you much find the bottom and top anchor points in your car.  They are usually behind the seat on the top and under the seat near the floorboards on the bottom.  Snap both of these into places.  Sometimes it is very difficult to use the LATCH system and properly tighten the belts.  The best bet is to use your body weight to pull the tethers tight. Check the seat to make sure it doesn’t rock or slip forward.  If it does continue tightening it until it no longer moves.

All Car Seats Will Come With a Clip on the Back 

This clip is only necessary in older model cars and is used to ensure that the buckles do not slip.  The clip is attached to both of the belts (shoulder and lap) to hold them together and should be installed right above the clipping mechanism or buckle.  They can be hard to get on at first but are absolutely necessary in older model cars.  If you do not use them you risk allowing the belt system to malfunction which nulls the use of the car seat. 

Think about this for a minute!  Consumer testing reports conducted showed that a car seat is 71% more effective at preventing injury at high and low speeds than using without.  Chances are if you install a seat wrong or move a child up to quickly – they will be killed in the event of a wreck.  All research indicates that car seats are the safest way to keep kids safe in the car and should be used properly.

Now that it's against the law in California to talk on a handheld cell phone while driving, large numbers of drivers are rushing to get hands-free phone devices for their cars. They plan to keep talking and driving, and they don't want to get a ticket.That's understandable, but they should not assume that hands-free phoning while driving makes them safer.

It doesn't.Studies have consistently shown that hands-free phones don't do much to reduce the risk of accidents from driving while talking on a phone. The Insurance Institute for Highway safety sites two studies involving actual crash victims: one in Canada in 1997, the other in Western Australia in 2005. Those studies show that cell phone users are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves or damage property than are drivers who don't drive and talk on the phone.While the studies were unable to determine the benefits of placing a call with a hands-free device, once the conversation begins, the elevated risk of accidents were the same for both drivers with hands-free cell phones or handheld models.As the studies consistently demonstrate, it's not about the hands.

It's the driver's brain or cognitive abilities that are impaired while talking on a phone and driving. Their perception and judgment, their ability to react or even to be aware of what's going on around them is diminished. Reaction time is slowed. They are more likely to swerve.Drivers are also distracted by conversations with other passengers in a car. But the other passenger is aware when the driver approaches a difficult driving situation – entering a packed freeway, for example, or a dangerous intersection – and is more likely to slow the conversation or stop talking. By contrast, the person on the other end of the telephone is dangerously unaware.A hands-free cell phone will prevent you from getting a ticket. But if your goal is to avoid an accident, the best advice is hang up and drive.

The Child's Age Dictates the Type of Car Seat
When you consider that thousands of children are killed every year in car accidents, the parent's responsibility to properly install and use child safety-seats.html" title="Child Safety Seats, LATCH anchors and tethers, booster seats">car seats is of grave importance. Right from the trip home from the hospital, you can be providing the safest possible environment in your car by choosing a seat that fits your infant properly and attaches securely to the vehicle. A newborn infant and older, up to 1 year of age must always ride in an infant-only, rear-facing safety seat.

Infant-Only Seats
Like a child's clothing, safety seats range in sizes for all ages and weights. An infant-only seat fits children up to about 25 pounds with some models equipped with swing up carrying handles. You can even opt for a "system" that includes a stroller, and a detachable base that can be left attached in the car. It is preferred that your child ride in a rear-facing position for as long as possible. Never put a rear-facing seat in the front passenger seat unless you disarm the airbag on that side.

LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children)
From 2002 on, auto makers have been installing an improved way to attach a child's safety seat to the vehicle called the LATCH System. You can also have this system installed in older cars. To be double sure, consult the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (http://www.nhtsa.gov) for a local car seat inspection station so your car can be checked for correct installation by a certified child passenger safety technician.

Toddlers & Preschoolers Earn a Larger Safety Seat
For children 1 year of age or older and over 20 pounds, a forward-facing safety seat is appropriate. Once a child has outgrown the forward-facing car seat, he can use a booster seat until the standard seatbelt fits him, usually from eight to twelve years of age. After a child has outgrown the booster seat, he may graduate to riding while just wearing the seat belt.

The choice, installation and proper use of child safety seats merits research and careful consideration starting before your child is even born. Numerous studies are published every year comparing the features, effectiveness, and ease of use of safety seats. Reading about the new five star rating system for car seats available online at the NHTSA can be a great starting point for anyone who wants to research the products currently on the market. As is the case with many commercially produced products, defects in car safety seats are occasionally discovered causing products to be recalled. Consumer Reports, Parents Magazine, Family Circle and other publications publish the occurrences of problems with child safety seats online and in their magazines.