Comments on Consumer Reports Article....

BrookeSLP · Apr 4, 2005

http://www.consumerreports.org/main/content/display_report.jsp?FOLDER<>folder_id=579525

Any input - I have two MAs. The article did not mention whether or not they were tethered.

joolsplus3 · Apr 4, 2005

Whenever Darren gets here, he'll be able to explain it all very well.

BrookeSLP · Apr 4, 2005

Thanks!

I e-mailed CR to ask if the seats were tethered in the test. I like the fact that they said all seats needed to be tethered (or certified to be tethered) RF here in the US, I just wish they had specified whether or not they had tethered the MAs they tested - I am assuming they didn't .
Brooke

groovymom2000 · Apr 6, 2005

Darren-what are your thoughts on this CR article?

I generally don't use LATCH simply because it is easier for me to use the seatbelt than LATCH, but I was wondering about the article myself.

SafeDad · Apr 6, 2005

Kecia had some good comments on this thread, and to avoid repeating my comments I will just be lazy and link it!

http://messageboards.ivillage.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=iv-ppcarseats&msg=56532.1&ctx=0

And, of course:

http://www.car-safety.org/guide.html#cr

The failures of the Avatar and Portabout when used RF with LATCH were disturbing, especially if confirmed by an agency with more credibility in child passenger safety. For the time being, I would not recommend parents use those two restraints with the LATCH system. Combi has issued a release with the same recommendation regarding the Avatar. The comments about the Tyro and Marathon don't concern me very much, as discussed in the thread above.

BrookeSLP · Apr 6, 2005

Thanks for the info!

My 2.5 yo is FF, but my 13 mo is still rear facing and will be for some time. I'll bookmark those links.

Brooke

BrookeSLP · Apr 7, 2005

From Consumer reports

This is an e-mail I got from CR today
================
Thanks for taking the time to contact Consumer Reports(r) regarding our
recent report on child safety seats. It is always a pleasure to hear from
our readers!

The Britax Marathon is a convertible seat that we tested in both its rear
and forward- facing position. We tested with the tether in the
front-facing position, but not rear-facing. Tethering a rear-facing seat
may help prevent injuries from rebound after the initial impact of a crash,
but will not prevent forward rotation.

I hope this information is helpful!

Thanks again for taking the time to write. Your interest in our work is
greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Paul Hanney
Customer Relations Representative
738945

SafeDad · Apr 7, 2005

Too bad they got it wrong. He's only correct if it's tethered toward the front of the vehicle. Tethered toward the rear of the vehicle, as Britax also allows, the tether does indeed reduce forward rotation. This method is not convenient, but it is legitimate.

groovymom2000 · Apr 7, 2005

Thanks Darren for posting those links. I don't frequent ivillage anymore, so I did

not see those responses!

UlrikeDG · Apr 7, 2005

Actually, I think that the "Swedish" tether will reduce downward rotation as well. Here's why:

When I install a rear facing Marathon without tethering it, I have to leave the seatbelt "loose" enough to maintain the proper recline. However, when I use the tether, I can pull the seatbelt significantly tighter, then use the tether to counteract it. This reduces the amount of seatbelt (or LATCH strap) that can stretch during deceleration, and should reduce the downward rotation.

Think about it this way, if you install the seat without the tether, then push down on the back of the seat, it rotates downward quite a bit. If you install the seat at approximately the same angle with a taut tether, then push down on the seat, it may still move, but it will rotate significantly less.

SafeDad · Apr 7, 2005

Yeah, you can start off with more compression on the seat cushion if you use the tether like that. One would assume you'd get less downward rotation compared to an installation just floating on top of the vehicle seat cushion. I've seen nothing to prove that, but it makes sense to me.

Comments on Consumer Reports Article....

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