What infant seats do NOT allow the handle to be up?

The lady who runs the local diaper service to me sends out monthly newsletters. Her October newsletter contained the following information:

Being married to a firefighter means that I hear some tragic stories of families injured in car accidents. Car seat safety is CRUCIAL, but often very confusing.
One of the common errors my husband is always commenting on is seeing the handles "up" on infant carriers while the vehicle is in operation. While there are varying thoughts on this - most manufacturers, car seat safety experts and most importantly emergency responders recommend that this handle always be placed in the locked (back) position so that it is not above the baby. There are documented cases of severe injury - even decapitation - when the handle has been left in the "carry" position and the vehicle has been involved in an accident. Be sure to check your manufacturer's instructions.
For some great resources on car seat safety, visit
General Child Seat Safety
Keep Kids Safe

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She then talks about getting your car seat installation checked at the fire hall, etc.

So, two questions. First, isn't her advice based on old information? Most infant seats available now do allow carry position, correct? And I know I have read on here that carry position can actually provide some rebound protection. Anyone have any links I could share with her about this? Secondly, obviously she is passionate about car seat safety. Anyone have some good links I could share with her and her husband about ERF etc?

Thanks!

Evenflo, Peg Perego, Baby Trend (do you have Baby Trend up there?) and a few others don't allow the handle in the carry position.

Dorel, Graco, Chicco, Combi and several others do. (Dorel and Chicco both allow ANY locked position.)

A reinforced, tested handle that is allowed up is no danger to a baby with properly tightened straps. It may even be a benefit to safety, as an anti-rebound feature (Combi and the Graco engineers say it is. Transport Canada's limited testing bears that out to some extent.) And I've never head of decaptiation at all. I've heard of Evenflo handles shattering and stabbing/slicing the baby with pieces of plastic, but not decapitation.

At least she says to read your manuals. She'll prove herself wrong with that one.

Wendy

Decapitation?!? She said there are "documented cases". Do you think she actually has documentation on this that she would share you? I'm thinking not , but I'm curious where she got this statement from.

I'm also curious why she says "manufacturers, car seat safety experts and most importantly emergency responders recommend" the handle down. Do they know something that the manufacturers and the car seat safety experts don't??? Is it because it's easier to get the child out? But don't they usually remove the child from the car in their car seat (in which case it would be easier to have the handle up)?

For Combi infant seats the handle MUST be up. The best thing for her to do (from a liability perspective) would be to retract everything but the "check your manufacturer's instructions" statement.

Here's a good thread with more info on why some say it's safer up - http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=76091

Is that statement about getting car seats checked at the fire hall true in your area? I know that car seat clinics are often held at fire halls (to have a warm, dry place), but it's not that common for the firefighters to be techs themselves, so you usually can't just show up there & get your seats checked. But maybe the firefighters are techs where you live?

The First Years/Learning Curve Via manual says that the handle should be rotated forward into an anti rebound position, above baby's feet.

Graco's most cost effective and mainstream seat, the Graco Snugride 22, prohibits driving with the handle rotated above the canopy, known as position C. Your choices are either all the way up (carrying postition -- "A"), or all the way down -- position D. This shocks most people.

Combi strongly recommends that the handle be left up -- carrying position, while in the vehicle.

As KQ listed, there are only a few manufacturer's left that require the handle to be rotated back, above the canopy. Peg Perego North America, BabyTrend, and Evenflo to my knowledge.

It is not appropriate to make blanket statements about handles anymore. Parents and caregivers must follow the manufacturer's guidelines. It is not factual to say that all handles must be down, nor is it helpful to throw in horror stories about decapitation. :twocents:

canadiangie said:

Graco's most cost effective and mainstream seat, the Graco Snugride 22, prohibits driving with the handle rotated above the canopy, known as position C. Your choices are either all the way up (carrying postition -- "A"), or all the way down -- position D. This shocks most people.

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Position B is also not allowed, and position E is allowed. Three approved, two not.

Wendy

Thank you for this thread. I always wonder about it when seeing other seats in cars going by when we are driving. Every infant seat (3) that we owned said that the handle must be down. We had a Peg, Evenflo I think, and the Snugride.

canadiangie said:

It is not appropriate to make blanket statements about handles anymore. Parents and caregivers must follow the manufacturer's guidelines. It is not factual to say that all handles must be down, nor is it helpful to throw in horror stories about decapitation. :twocents:

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That is sort of how I felt as well.

shauburg said:

Is that statement about getting car seats checked at the fire hall true in your area? I know that car seat clinics are often held at fire halls (to have a warm, dry place), but it's not that common for the firefighters to be techs themselves, so you usually can't just show up there & get your seats checked. But maybe the firefighters are techs where you live?

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I'm not sure if they are actually techs or not. I know you can stop by Saturdays between 1 and 3 and they will check your installation but wont install for you. I've never gone though. Just relied on you wonderful ladies

Thanks for all your information! I think I'm going to send her an email. Her wording really bothered me. I can just picture some new mom reading it and being all paranoid because it is coming from a fireman. Plus, I don't want him walking past my car and seeing the handle up on my Keyfit and thinking DD is going to get decapitated

equilibrium said:

Thank you for this thread. I always wonder about it when seeing other seats in cars going by when we are driving. Every infant seat (3) that we owned said that the handle must be down. We had a Peg, Evenflo I think, and the Snugride.

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The SnugRide allows the handle all the way up, or in the behind-the-seat positions. The 2 that are over the face, and at the top of the shell are the only 2 not allowed. This was retroactive.

ketchupqueen said:

The SnugRide allows the handle all the way up, or in the behind-the-seat positions. The 2 that are over the face, and at the top of the shell are the only 2 not allowed. This was retroactive.

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Thank you for the clarification

My Britax Companion requires the handle to be behind the seat, but I don't know if the same is true for the newer version.

My Graco SS1 allowed the handle to be up.