Australian tethering method performs better...

[ignora]

I already posted this as a response on a thread in the Community Member Chat. I think that it's interesting enough to have its own thread, though... and didn't want the info to get buried. I sure hope this is the right forum. I never know where to post things... too confusing! :confused:

Anyway, they're talking about this over on Delphi:

http://forums.delphiforums.com/n/mb/...ts&msg=12631.1

http://forums.delphiforums.com/n/mb/...ts&msg=12639.1

Apparently, the Australian method performed better in crash tests than tethering behind the seat to the floor...

Edit: Grrrr... the links worked when I tested them, but they don't now. So, if you're interested, go to the Delphi (http://forums.delphiforums.com/Carseats/start) site and read the threads titled "Australian method has best test results" and "Britax and Australian Tethering" under CPS Freaks and Geeks. Sorry about all the trouble...

[CRS]

This is true for frontal and side crashes but says nothing of rear end crashes. Though this is one of the reasons I still haven't moved my youngest to a swedish seat, he's still in an australian seat and will be till he outgrows it.

ETA: btw those links don't work.

[ignora]

That's weird... they worked fine when I posted. Ok, let me figure it out... :/

Edit: Just testing...
http://tinyurl.com/26n49a
http://tinyurl.com/24jcd4

[CRS]

That's weird... they worked fine when I posted. Ok, let me figure it out... :/

maybe you could tinyurl.com them and they would work?

[ignora]

maybe you could tinyurl.com them and they would work?

Ok, well, I tried that (edited in the post above yours). It works for me right now, but so did the original ones at first. I think that, once you're signed out of the Delphi site, the links don't work. Just a hunch... I could be wrong.

[katiesmommy]

If you are signed out of Delphi, just sign in and it will take you straight to the previously requested site. That's what it did for me anyhow.

[joolsplus3]

That's on a test bench, where bracing or the front seats aren't there to stop the movement. A car obviously has that (not the third row of a big van with no middle chairs, of course). Seats must already pass the maximum downward rotation angle with only a lapbelt, so there's no injury data for passing, properly installed seats being 'bad' without australian tethering, so the limitation of the downward rotation angle has no effect on safety as we know it. Australian seats have anti rebound bars, US seats don't, so ask the Delphites to pull up that cocooning video that all scares them so much ;). Britax was going to disallow Australian tethering of US seat, but owing to the lack of an anti rebound bars, it never went through, so both methods are still in the manuals (note that the 'Aust. tether method is not allowed' rumor runs rampant on that board, too...sigh...). And finally, one video is often dramatic and seems like 'proof', but no one over there has gone to the best source of info, which is this page http://www.carseat.org/Technical/tech_update.htm#toptetherRF
"Although crash experience indicates that rebound of infant-only restraints in frontal impacts does not cause serious injury, similar movement of a rear-facing restraint can also occur during a severe rear impact or offset rear impact, which can result in serious injury or death if the infant's head hits the rear door pillar of a sedan, the rear window of a pickup, or some other hard surface. As larger and heavier infants are carried rear-facing, the chance of an infant's head hitting a hard part of the vehicle is greater. Tethering a rear-facing convertible CR to the floor can reduce the risk of head and facial injuries in rear and side crashes by reducing head excursion"

It's a shame the Britax Galaxy (Australian-inspired seat, anti rebound foot AND swedish tethering) failed to catch on and left the market so soon...that's the best of both worlds! (it had UGLY covers and a and super low top slots....).

I'll keep using Swedish tethering for my kiddo, that's for sure ;)

[elle7715]

Another thing that worries me about Australian tethering is that we have low seatbacks. So instead of cocooning into the seat they would be wrapped around the seat back. DS is tiny enough to still hit the seat but DD would go straight into the back windshield.

[racesmom]

We saw this at our update class too. The difference in a side impact crash won hands down for the Swedish. It, along with proper installation, held the seat and child (dummy) in excellent position. I'll stick with Swedish.

[CRS]

Australian seats have anti rebound bars, US seats don't, so ask the Delphites to pull up that cocooning video that all scares them so much ;). ......................(wont quote the whole thing)
:yeahthat:ITA with you! YOU GO GIRL! LOL

[lynsgirl]

That's on a test bench, where bracing or the front seats aren't there to stop the movement. A car obviously has that (not the third row of a big van with no middle chairs, of course). Seats must already pass the maximum downward rotation angle with only a lapbelt, so there's no injury data for passing, properly installed seats being 'bad' without australian tethering, so the limitation of the downward rotation angle has no effect on safety as we know it. Australian seats have anti rebound bars, US seats don't, so ask the Delphites to pull up that cocooning video that all scares them so much ;). Britax was going to disallow Australian tethering of US seat, but owing to the lack of an anti rebound bars, it never went through, so both methods are still in the manuals (note that the 'Aust. tether method is not allowed' rumor runs rampant on that board, too...sigh...). And finally, one video is often dramatic and seems like 'proof', but no one over there has gone to the best source of info, which is this page http://www.carseat.org/Technical/tech_update.htm#toptetherRF
"Although crash experience indicates that rebound of infant-only restraints in frontal impacts does not cause serious injury, similar movement of a rear-facing restraint can also occur during a severe rear impact or offset rear impact, which can result in serious injury or death if the infant's head hits the rear door pillar of a sedan, the rear window of a pickup, or some other hard surface. As larger and heavier infants are carried rear-facing, the chance of an infant's head hitting a hard part of the vehicle is greater. Tethering a rear-facing convertible CR to the floor can reduce the risk of head and facial injuries in rear and side crashes by reducing head excursion"

It's a shame the Britax Galaxy (Australian-inspired seat, anti rebound foot AND swedish tethering) failed to catch on and left the market so soon...that's the best of both worlds! (it had UGLY covers and a and super low top slots....).

I'll keep using Swedish tethering for my kiddo, that's for sure ;)

:yeahthat: All of that.

[lynsgirl]

:yeahthat:ITA with you! YOU GO GIRL! LOL

LOL I didn't see your post before I quoted a "yeah that" to Julie. So the "all" of that has nothing to do with you saying "won't quote the whole thing." I saw that immediately after I posted and LOL, but thought I'd clarify :p :love:.

[joolsplus3]

:yeahthat:ITA with you! YOU GO GIRL! LOL


:thanx!:

Ok, now should we start a petition to get a Boulevard with anti rebound bar and swedish tethering....? We can tell them to call it the Omni (like, omniprotective...keeps your kid contained and unmoving from all angles).

:D

[snowbird25ca]

:thanx!:

Ok, now should we start a petition to get a Boulevard with anti rebound bar and swedish tethering....? We can tell them to call it the Omni (like, omniprotective...keeps your kid contained and unmoving from all angles).

:D

Hey, that's a catchy name. :)

I also found your post up above very helpful, so thank you. :)

[DonnettaCB98]

Another thing that worries me about Australian tethering is that we have low seatbacks. So instead of cocooning into the seat they would be wrapped around the seat back. DS is tiny enough to still hit the seat but DD would go straight into the back windshield.
That is a good reason not to use the Australian method. We talked about that at the event (I posted the original threads at Delphi). He talked about how many trucks we have here in Texas and how the swedish method is probably better in cases where they would meet glass on the rebound.
Edited: Of course Texas is not the only place with trucks. ;-)

[DonnettaCB98]

Seats must already pass the maximum downward rotation angle with only a lapbelt, so there's no injury data for passing, properly installed seats being 'bad' without australian tethering,

I don't think I said anything about installing seats without australian being bad and neither did our speaker. Just that it had better test results. To me, just because a lap belt would pass doesn't mean I might not want to do something else that would pass even better, know what I mean? I don't have any seats tethered the Australian way either.

I love your idea about the anti-rebound bar and the swedish tethering. That would rock and would give the best protection. I kind of have a feeling that in the next 5 years we'll see seat manufacturers going that route. I was thinking last night about how 10 year old seats look like death traps sometimes, and it makes me wonder how our beloved seats will look to the new parents in 10 years!

[DonnettaCB98]

Britax was going to disallow Australian tethering of US seat, but owing to the lack of an anti rebound bars, it never went through, so both methods are still in the manuals (note that the 'Aust. tether method is not allowed' rumor runs rampant on that board, too...sigh...).
I didn't notice this part before, but according to Joe Colella, who works closely with car seat manufacturers, Britax didn't take it out of the manuals because they decided it was a good tethering method after seeing the results of the crash testing for the Australian method. He said they were allowing the australian method again since at least May of this year.

[elle7715]

I didn't notice this part before, but according to Joe Colella, who works closely with car seat manufacturers, Britax didn't take it out of the manuals because they decided it was a good tethering method after seeing the results of the crash testing for the Australian method. He said they were allowing the australian method again since at least May of this year.

My MA manufactured in late June has the Australian method in the manual. I was surprised to see it but never asked about it on here.