what's wrong with this picture?

was flipping through the latest magazine from Multiples of America, the national parents of multiples club, and nearly lost my lunch when I saw the photo they have accompanying an article on car safety.

I've started composing a letter and would like input from the collective CSO brain because my DDs are 13YO and I haven't been keeping up to date on car seats. This is what I have so far:

Dear Multiples of America Notebook staff:

Thank you for the informative article "How to Make Sure Your Child is Safe in the Car". I am concerned, though, that if "A picture is worth a thousand words", that the photo accompanying the article contradicts some points of the text.

1. The article correctly recommends keeping one's child rear-facing "as long as possible" for better protection of the child's head, neck, and spine. But the child in the photo is forward facing and looks to be younger than 2. (Please note also that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends keeping children rear-facing "until they are two years old or until they have reached the weight and height limits of their car seat." and that the rear-facing weight and height limits of many readily available car seats are high enough so that parents can keep a typical child rear-facing beyond 2 years.)

2. The article correctly reminds parents to make sure that the harness is "buckled and coming from the correct harness slots" yet the harness in the photo is coming from slots that appear to be at least two inches above the child's shoulders.


I also wanted to comment that the article correctly state that "the chest clip should be placed at armpit level and all slack removed from the harness" but there's *no* chest clip in the photo - but before I did that, I just wanted to check if the seat in the photo is one that can correctly be used without a chest clip (never heard of such a thing but like I said, I haven't been keeping up on the latest and greatest in car seats)

TIA!
 
ADS

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
That appears to be a European seat, sold without a chest clip (though there are a few sold without them in the states.)
 
That appears to be a European seat, sold without a chest clip (though there are a few sold without them in the states.)

So in that case, would it be appropriate to say something like, the article correctly state that "the chest clip should be placed at armpit level and all slack removed from the harness". It would have been helpful if the accompanying photo illustrated this point, but the seat used in the photo appears to be a European model that is sold without a chest clip, which could be confusing to sleep-deprived parents." ?
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
Yeah. Except I'd say "foreign seat" as I don't recognize it, it could be Australian or South African too. The harness being loose is the most concerning part of the pic for me. Many of these seats allow ff at 9 months (sometimes 6 in Australia.)

It's worth noting that the authors of the articles usually have no input on accompanying illustrations, which are usually selected from stock photo services (and there are a ton of European, outdated, and misuse stock photos out there.) Editorial should definitely talk to the photo sourcing person or people about appropriate car seat photos though.
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
At least the bear's belt is low, touching the thighs?

Yeah, just a totally inappropriate stock photo, I always wonder how these bad pics get put next to otherwise decent safety articles, but it keeps happening.
 

Brigala

CPST Instructor
I would tell them that they need to look in NHTSA's photo library for free stock photos showing American seats being properly used, rather than foreign seats being poorly used.

How would this sound: " The article correctly states that "the chest clip should be placed at armpit level and all slack removed from the harness" but your staff chose a photo of a foreign seat with loose straps that does not come with a chest clip. This could be very confusing to your readers who are not familiar with the differences between North American seats and seats from other countries. In the future, consider selecting free stock photos from NHTSA's image library in order to send a consistent and safe message to your readers. http://www.nhtsa.gov/nhtsa/ImageLibrary/index.cfm "
 
I would tell them that they need to look in NHTSA's photo library for free stock photos showing American seats being properly used, rather than foreign seats being poorly used.

How would this sound: " The article correctly states that "the chest clip should be placed at armpit level and all slack removed from the harness" but your staff chose a photo of a foreign seat with loose straps that does not come with a chest clip. This could be very confusing to your readers who are not familiar with the differences between North American seats and seats from other countries. In the future, consider selecting free stock photos from NHTSA's image library in order to send a consistent and safe message to your readers. http://www.nhtsa.gov/nhtsa/ImageLibrary/index.cfm "

nicely worded, didn't even know that NHTSA had a stock image library - will include that in the letter, thanks!
 
update: finally sent the email yesterday and am happy to report that I received the following response today:):

Elaine,

Thank you for contacting us with your concern in regards to this article.

We are aware of the situation of the inappropriate photo with this article and we sincerely apologize for this error. This stock photo was inadvertently used in error and we missed labeling that the photo was to show how NOT to install a car seat. We are proud of the article and all the information that this writer has provided.

We are planning to run a corrected photo of "How to" properly have your child strapped in a car seat along with an apology of the inadvertent use of the inappropriate photo in our next issue.

Thank you,


Kim Kostusiak
Education Vice President Multiples of America
(also known as National Organization of Mothers of Twins Clubs, Inc.)
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
How nice of them to get back to you! I get the feeling you weren't the first to email them, but were maybe the most polite...

:)
 

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