Transcript CPS Conference Call

Prescription for Your Child’s
Safety: Best Practices
Educational Conference Call
February 22, 2006
Child Passenger Safety Hospital Project
Maryland EMSC in partnership with
Maryland KISS & Maryland Highway Safety Office
This conference call is sponsored in part by a grant from the
Maryland Highway Safety Office/ State Highway Administration
“Rx for your child’s safety”
pads & posters can be ordered online
www.miemss.org/EMSCwww/CPSHome.htm
Crash Dynamics
Debbi Baer, RN BSN
Child Passenger Safety Instructor
Maryland Child Passenger Safety Board
CPS Conference Call 2006
National Standardized
Child Passenger Safety
Training Program
May 2004
Crash
Dynamics
4-99
4
Newton’s Law Of Motion
• An object in motion remains in motion at
the original speed until acted on by an
outside force.
• The outside force…
– Can be harmful (e.g., the steering wheel,
windshield, pavement, etc.)
– Can be designed to protect (e.g., safety belt
or CRS)
Crash Dynamics - 4
Crash Forces
Approximation For
Parents:
Weight X Speed =
Restraining
Force
Crash Dynamics - 5
Three Collisions in a Crash
1st: Vehicle Collision
2nd: Human Collision
3rd: Internal Collision
1st
Crash Dynamics - 6
2nd
3rd
Types of Crashes
•
•
•
•
Frontal
Lateral (Side Impact)
Rear-end
Rollover
Crash Dynamics - 7
Frontal Crashes
• Most frequent type,
but not necessarily
most severe
• Common injuries to
unrestrained
occupants:
– Fractures of the skull,
spine, & ribs
– Cuts and bruises to
the head & face
– Injuries to larynx, liver,
& spleen
Crash Dynamics - 8
Lateral (Side Impact) Crashes
• Typically the most
deadly type of crash
due to less crush space
• Minor differences in # of
fatalities between left &
right side
• Common injuries
include:
– Chest & pelvic injuries
– Facial and skull fractures
Crash Dynamics - 9
Rear-end Crashes
• Usually less severe
• Common injuries
include
– Cervical fractures
– Stretching/tearing of
neck ligaments and
tendons (whiplash)
– Properly set head
restraint can decrease
risk of injury
Crash Dynamics - 10
Rollovers
• Rollovers = Side to
side & vaults
• Severity of injury
depends upon number
of rotations etc.
• Often cause ejection
• Ejected occupants are
4 times more likely to
be killed
Crash Dynamics - 11
Selecting & Securing Children
In Vehicle Safety Restraint Systems
4-99
13
Child’s Body Proportions
Selecting & Securing - 5
Effectiveness of Child Restraints
•
•
•
•
71% effective in reducing infant deaths
54% effective in reducing toddler deaths
69% effective in reducing hospitalization need
Children = 37% less likely to be fatally injured
riding in the rear seat
Selecting & Securing - 8
Rear Facing Only (Infant Seat)
• Rear facing ONLY
• Birth/5pounds to 17 - 22 pounds (most
models) or when head is 1” below top of
shell
Selecting & Securing - 28
Rear Facing Only (Infant Seat)
• Supports entire head,
neck & back, reducing
stress to neck and
spine in crash
• May have 5-point or
V-harness
• Some have a
detachable base
Selecting & Securing - 29
Rear Facing Convertible
• Rear-facing until 20 to 30/35 lbs and at least one year old
• Use in reclined position
5 Point Harness
Selecting & Securing - 30
Tray Shield
T Shield
Forward Facing Seats
Tracy Whitman, B.S., CHES
Coordinator, Maryland Kids in Safety Seats
Maryland Department of Health & Mental Hygiene
CPS Conference Call 2006
Anatomy of a Toddler





Large, heavy heads
Weak neck/back
muscles
Immature skeletal
system
Flexible, narrow
shoulders
Small, round pelvis
Why Forward-Facing Seats?
The harness system:
 Dissipates crash forces over the
stronger parts of the body
 Lessens the crash force on weaker
bones/muscles of the child’s body
 Keeps them “in position”
Also, car seats are “child-sized”
Types of Harness Systems
5 Point Harness
Tray Shield
T Shield
Which Harness is Best?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
5 Point
Straps snug against
pelvis/ across shoulders
and rib cage
Crash forces are
absorbed by strongest
parts of body
Fit can be adjustedlimiting momentum
Nothing in front of head
Easy access to buckle
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Tray-Shield (3 point)
Straps pulled away
from body to buckle
Crash force may
transfer to abdomen
Fit can not be adjusted
– too much momentum
Head may contact
shield
Limits access to buckle
Expert Statements listed on http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/fivepointshield.aspx
How Long Should Children Ride
in a Harness System?

To maximum weight limit: 40 pounds (or more
on select seats)

To maximum height limit: Move to
Combination or Forward-facing only seat for
taller shoulder slots

Do not advise premature graduation into a
booster seat or seat belt
Special Circumstances
1. Young/heavy children
2. Children restrained by lap-only belt
3. Behaviorally “challenging” children
Best protected by full harness system
past 40 pounds
Current Options-Britax
Boulevard
(65 lbs)
Regent
(80 lbs)
Decathlon
(65 lbs)
Husky
(80 lbs)
Marathon
(65 lbs)
Current Options-Other
Cosco Apex
(65 lbs)
Nania Airway
(50 lbs)
Current Options-Other
E-Z On 86 Y
Harness
40-168 lbs
STS Ride Safer
Travel Vest
Small 35-60 lbs
Large 50-80 lb
E-Z On
Adjustable
Vests
2 Styles lbs vary
Current Options-Other
Sunshine
Kids
Radian
Car Seat



Rear-facing children 5 to 33 lbs.
Forward-facing children up to 65 lbs.
Maximum child height of 49 in.
Current Options-Other
Special Needs Children
Gorilla
20-105 #
Traveler Plus
20-105 #
Columbia
Positioning
Seat 20-102 #
Booster Seats—Why and
How?
Meg Miller, BS
Occupant Protection Coordinator
Maryland Highway Safety Office at SHA
CPS Conference Call 2006
Why booster seats?
Many caregivers believe that once a
child has grown out of a “traditional” child
safety seat with harness straps, s/he is
ready to go right into a seat belt.
 Safety belts are designed for adult
comfort and safety, not children’s.
 Kids 4-8 = “the forgotten children”

What happens when kids are placed into
adult seat belts too soon?
Discomfort and lack of proper belt fit can
lead to:
 Child putting shoulder harness behind
back or under arm
 Lap belt riding too high—lap belt
syndrome
 Submarining
 Ejection
What’s the solution?
 A booster
seat!

Belt positioning booster seats boost the
child up so the vehicle safety belt fits better

Using a belt positioning booster reduces a
child’s risk of injury by 59% (JAMA, June 2003)
Belt positioning booster seats (BPB)

High back

provide head and
neck support in
vehicles that have no
head restraints.

No back

only use in vehicles
with high seat
backs and/or head
restraints.
Benefits of boosters

Better comfort AND safety for the
child



Helps the shoulder belt fit properly
across the child’s chest, away from
the face and neck
Holds the lap belt low and snug over
the upper thighs.
Studies have even shown that
raising the child’s sight-line can help
improve carsickness!
When are children ready to use
the seat belt without boosters?
It’s not an age or a weight,
or even a height.
It’s—
When they pass the 5-Step Test!!

Remember, putting children in an adult seat belt
too soon is the equivalent of giving them an
adult dosage of medicine—it’s just not safe.
The Five-Step Test





Does the child sit all the way back against the
auto seat?
Do the child’s knees bend comfortably at the
edge of the auto seat?
Does the belt cross the shoulder between the
neck and arm?
Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the
thighs?
Can the child stay seated like this for the whole
trip?
The Five Step Test
Five Step Test cont’d

If you answered “no” to any of these questions,
the child needs a booster seat to make both the
shoulder belt and the lap belt fit right for the best
crash protection.

And, they will be more comfortable too!

This test should be done in every vehicle in
which the child rides.
(Source for 5-Step Test:
SafetyBeltSafe USA, a national advocacy
group, with the support of the Allstate Foundation)
How to tell proper seat belt fit—
on adults and kids!!

Lap belts should be worn
below the waistline,
against the hips and
thighs—never across the
abdomen.
 Shoulder belts should be
snug across the chest
and against the
collarbone—never under
your arm or behind your
back!
Car safety seats:
selecting the appropriate type
Committee on Injury and Poison Prevention, Pediatrics 2002;109:550-553
Copyright ©2002 American Academy of Pediatrics
Additional Resources
CPS Information & Resource Guide
Maryland Kids in Safety Seats – for statewide CPS technical support/info, consumer helpline, email updates, training and seat check-up event schedules, educational materials, Maryland CPS
Advisory Board Co-chair
www.mdkiss.org
E-mail: [email protected]
1-800-370-SEAT (7328)
Newsletter:NewsNotes
Maryland Highway Safety Office – Occupant Protection Information including county Community
Traffic Safety Program coordinators, educational materials and Maryland CPS Advisory Board
Co-chair
Meg Miller, Occupant Protection Coordinator
E-mail: [email protected]
410-787-4077
Safe Kids Maryland State Coalition– Occupant Protection educational materials, information on
local Safe Kids coalition coordinators and programs, and other unintentional injury prevention
information
Barbara Beckett
E-mail: [email protected]
Safe Kids Maryland State Coalition Coordinator
410-787-5893
Maryland EMSC Child Passenger Safety Project– Promotes child passenger safety discharge
policies for Maryland hospitals and health care professionals. Resources available through Web
site.
Mary Ellen Wilson, CPS Hospital Project Coordinator E-mail: [email protected]
www.miemss.org/EMSCwww/CPSHome.htm
410-706-8647
Maryland KISS
CPS Information & Resource Guide
Safe Kids Worldwide (formerly National SAFE KIDS Campaign)– for CPS Certification Information
including your personal profile and contact info, logging seat-check activity, finding update or
certification courses, re-certification, questions/concerns
www.usa.safekids.org
E-mail: [email protected]
1-877-366-8154 (customer service line through PES)
Newsletter: CPS Express!
National Child Passenger Safety Board – information and updates regarding standardized
curriculum, certification/re-certification, national issues/concerns, download CPS tech manual, list
of child restraint manufacturers
www.cpsboard.org
Newsletter: Tech Update
Partners for Child Passenger Safety (PCPS)- Child Passenger Safety research conducted in
collaboration with State Farm Insurance Companies, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and
American Academy of Pediatrics. Research focuses on injury patterns among children, crash and
air bag data. Consumer information includes research reports and interactive videos of car and
booster seat and LATCH installation.
www.chop.edu/carseat
www.traumalink.chop.edu
Copies of article abstracts authored by PCPS researchers
Publications: CPS Issue Report (archived issues available on-line)
CPS for Children
CPS Information & Resource Guide
Safe Ride News Publications
most current CPS resource information, educational materials (fee charged)
www.saferidenews.com
800-403-1424
Publications: Safe Ride News Fact Sheets (updated annually)
Safe Ride News (bi-monthly CPS publication)
LATCH Manual
University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center
free recall list and notification service
www.hsrc.unc.edu/pubinfo/child recall1 pdf.htm E-mail: [email protected]
Safety Restraint Coalition
4 page recall list with updates as needed (fee charged)
www.800bucklup.org
425-828-8975
CHOP
CPS Information & Resource Guide
CPSPList – an informative web list-serve related to Child Passenger Safety. To subscribe, send an
E-mail to the list administrator.
E-mail: [email protected]
Automotive Safety Program:- National leader and expert in transportation of children with special
health care needs.
http://www.preventinjury.org/specNeeds.asp
800-543-6227
American Academy of Pediatrics: Professional education and resource for pediatricians and
families
http://aap.org/
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) – CPS and automotive safety
information, safety seat and vehicle recalls, auto safety hotline (report defects), free
educational materials
www.nhtsa.dot.gov
1-888-DASH-2-DOT
AAP
Questions and Answers
Thank you for your time and your interest in
Child Passenger Safety !
Feedback Form & Order Form can be downloaded from:
www.miemss.org/EMSCwww/CPSConferenceFeb22.htm
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