how do you deal with really uninformed people?

calihannah

New member
Just came across this on my local parenting board:

I've put three car seats into all four of our cars (ours + grandparents'). Basically, if you have two LATCHes, I can do it. It's not magic - I just use carabiner's hooks or screw-in hooks that you can get at any hardware store to connect two seats to one LATCH. Thus, if you have LATCH setups on the passenger and driver's sides, put two of these hooks on each inside LATCH. This enables you to add a car seat in the middle.

Is this safe? Well, these hooks are rated at hundreds of pounds, which in my opinion is very, very safe. I'll put it this way: I think the straps or hooks of my car seat will give out first.

:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

I wrote this:

To the poster who suggested putting two LATCH clips on one tether point -- even if you think it's safe, it directly defies your car manufacturer's and car seat manufacturer's instructions, which means that it hasn't been tested. If you're eager to get three across and don't have a center LATCH setup, use a seatbelt to install! Seatbelt installations of car seats, if done properly, are JUST as safe as LATCH installs and far safer than unproven/untested deliberate misuse. Also unsafe: borrowing LATCH anchors from the left and right to use in the center unless officially authorized by your car manufacturer. It's not about your car "giving out" or whatever -- it's about putting strain on the car seat that it wasn't designed or tested to handle. With child passenger safety, a little "harmless" shortcut could have lifelong tragic ramifications.

But seriously, what else can you say to people who are recommending really potentially harmful things? I mean really, carabiners on LATCH anchor points??? *sigh*
 
ADS

mom2boysrzc

New member
Some people just don't get it. They also think that having an infant in the front seat is safe, or having a child who isn't old enough be without a booster.

Sometimes no matter what you say, people will just poo-poo your opinions and do it anyways. At least by saying what's right, you educate one person, right?
 

4boysmom

New member
yeah that to the "100 pounds thing" I forget the formula, mommy brain- but crash forces are something like mass of the body times (as in multiplied by) the speed of the impact. So a 50 pound child times 4mph (i think this is right) is 200 pounds of force.
 

calihannah

New member
Sigh. The guy is now insisting that LATCH is safer than seatbelt installations in all circumstances. I'm so sad that the forum in question archives things permanently :(
 

aeormsby

New member
I'd point out that a seatbelt is designed to hold an 200+ lb adult in place while Latch is only rated to 40-48lb as a comeback to the 'latch is safer than seatbelt' argument.

And hopefully no one thinks that modifying the latch with a carabiner is a safe option :(
 

babygirlsmom1005

New member
Sounds like you have a real winner there on your hands.

I would also use the seat belt is rated to hold a full grown adult and the LATCH is only rated to hold 40-48 lbs (depending on the manufacture) so how is LATCH safer? The safest seat is a PROPERLY installed seat.
 

babyherder

Well-known member
Have a CPST provide some info? We all know it but it can be said with authority from a CPST. Or maybe provide a link to this site? Even if it doesn't convince the OP hopefully it will help anyone who reads the post to think twice and use their car seats correctly.
 

Athena

Well-known member
Your entries will be archived too and hopefully readers will read both. It's great you said something. You should feel good that you tried and your refuting his argument will make a difference to others reading it, even if not to him.

I think the idea of referring to the weight allowances on seatbelts vs. latch is great since that relates to this guy's original argument for his shortcut. Good luck!
 

calihannah

New member
Thanks, everyone. I responded with more accurate info so that at least it's part of the permanent archive as well. I also linked to car-seat.org and safekids, suggesting that if he can't get a good seatbelt install that he should seek assistance from a CPST ;)

Appreciate all of the support here!!
 

Qarin

New member
So, a (non-carseat-geeky) friend of mine is apparently on that same local parenting board. She pasted the initial post to me, and she was all, "you can do that?" Then a moment or two she sounded relieved: "ok, someone else responded to her," and pasted your reply to it. :)

So, rest assured, responding does get noticed by people reading along. It's important and useful, even if the original poster doesn't listen or care.
 

mommy-medic

New member
Although it's usually impossible to tell the speed at impact after deceleration (if brakes were applied), yes, a *general* rule of force is kid weight x speed. Those "hundreds of pounds" will be long passed once you get over 10mph with a kid over a few months old. Then you get into the "thousands of pounds"

And really??? A carabiner hook??? What about some duct tape while you're at it. This is your kids LIFE, not a science project. Here's an idea- USE THE SEATBELT instead of doubling your latch. That's kind of WHAT IT'S FOR.

Rant over.
 

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