people not using HUGS when FF!

seamonkeys

New member

• Jan 16, 2008

• #1

Ok, today I saw 2 kids in MA's FF without the HUGS! One is classmate of DS1 and other is a classmate's younger sib (not to mention the 2nd has an after-market cover on that the mom's SIL makes and sells, and really s/b RF still!!!). I want to tell them, but how to do it politely?!?! I've already told one parent about her misuse, and feel like telling more will make me sound like the carseat police!

I really wish I was a tech, then I could offer a class for the school. Plus I would feel I had an obligation to tell them the correct way and not feel like I'm being a know-it-all!

p.s. Now that I'm a fanatic about carseat safety, it's driving me nuts cause I'm always peeking at people's seats - and then I can't stop thinking about them if they are using them wrong!!!!!

 

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amy919

New member

• Jan 16, 2008

• #2

I won't take them off RF because I'm afraid to lose them or forget to put them back on. I can see people not bothering with them if they don't understand that they're required.

 

K

ktmo

New member

• Jan 16, 2008

• #3

I don't know how to help. I have a friend who doesn't use the HUGS on her MA. I told her she needed to, but nothing ever happened. I don't know what I would do if I didn't really know them.

Katie

 

Defrost

Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus

• Jan 16, 2008

• #4

"Oh, you took those rubber HUGS thingies off! I did that too; I just couldn't imagine what the point was. Then my neighbor saw it, and she said they are REQUIRED to use when FF - can you believe that?? So I looked it up/called Britax and she is RIGHT! Apparently they help keep the child's head from moving too far forward when you get in a crash! Do you still have yours? I think if you call Britax you can get new ones."

 

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NVMBR02

New member

• Jan 16, 2008

• #5

Defrost said:

"Oh, you took those rubber HUGS thingies off! I did that too; I just couldn't imagine what the point was. Then my neighbor saw it, and she said they are REQUIRED to use when FF - can you believe that?? So I looked it up/called Britax and she is RIGHT! Apparently they help keep the child's head from moving too far forward when you get in a crash! Do you still have yours? I think if you call Britax you can get new ones."

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THat is what I do when someone is doing something wrong that I know is wrong... I make it sounds like I had done the same thing.
I understand where you are coming from. I am not a tech and I am fairly new to carseat safety so I feel out of place giving advice, but it is hard to keep quiet when you know soemthing is wrong and unsafe.

 

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amy919

New member

• Jan 16, 2008

• #6

I have a stupid question. What exactly is the purpose of the HUGS? It's to distribute the force in the event of impact, IIRC? Why do Britax seats require a rubber piece to achieve a 65 pound weight limit when other HWH seats don't? I just don't get how a piece of rubber provides additional safety.

 

seamonkeys

New member

• Jan 16, 2008

• #7

Defrost said:

"Oh, you took those rubber HUGS thingies off! I did that too; I just couldn't imagine what the point was. Then my neighbor saw it, and she said they are REQUIRED to use when FF - can you believe that?? So I looked it up/called Britax and she is RIGHT! Apparently they help keep the child's head from moving too far forward when you get in a crash! Do you still have yours? I think if you call Britax you can get new ones."

Click to expand...

Hey, that actually sounds good! And maybe I could fib and say I was told at a carseat check! We just recently had one at the local firestation, so I could use it in my fib!!

Also, can you clarify (as amy919 asked) the exact purpose of them. I don't quite understand what you meant by "keeping the child's head from moving too far forward."

thanks!

 

Defrost

Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus

• Jan 16, 2008

• #8

2lilmonkeys said:

Also, can you clarify (as amy919 asked) the exact purpose of them. I don't quite understand what you meant by "keeping the child's head from moving too far forward."

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I made it up. Sorry, I just thought that was clear since I was making it all up anyway!

Obviously I should know better than to expect to get away with something like that around here!

 

H

HEVY

New member

• Jan 16, 2008

• #9

I never knew what those rubber things were for. I thought it was for shoulder protection, then I seen that the chest clip was in there on some seats so I thought it was a guide for the chest clip. But I've only seen Britax carseats with those, are they the only manufacturer who uses them? If they are is it necassary to use them?

 

Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus

Staff member

• Jan 16, 2008

• #10

It's absolutely necessary to use the rubber HUGS on HWH Britax seats FF to reduce head excursion. They're only optional for RF.

 

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2girlsMom

New member

• Jan 16, 2008

• #11

I've made the parental decision to use a Marathon cover on my FPSVD. I had a women politely ask me in the parking lot one day if I knew that I needed the HUGS for FF because she assumed it was a Marathon. LOL

I was excited someone else looked in other people's cars though.

 

MsFacetious

New member

• Jan 16, 2008

• #12

Yep my SIL doesn't use the HUGS on her 3 Boulevards. I thought about saying something... but I figured since my 19lbs, 14 month old niece has been forward facing for 6 months... the seat is not "installed" but simply has the LATCH straps hooked... not tightened...and, you can take her out of the seat without unbuckling her... they don't tether it...

I've told them all of the above several times, reinstalled them for them, etc. The HUGS are the least of her concerns, the kid will smash into the seat in front of her in any accident anyways.

So, I gave up. 14 months, I gave up. You can only help people that will listen. I like Debbie's idea. That would work for most human people. Obviously the ones I deal with are from another planet?

 

Stretchy Glue

New member

• Jan 16, 2008

• #13

I'm actually doing a meeting with my techs to teach them about the HUGS. Since our local Costco is selling them, I know we'll be inundated with MA now. A couple of our techs haven't had much if any experience with them so I thought this would make a really good meeting. (I'm the one who started the Radian thread about Safe Stop, since I thought it would be a good seat to study too. Look what I started)

 

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amy919

New member

• Jan 17, 2008

• #14

I'm not trying to be difficult and I'd never use the MA without the HUGS. They don't bother me in the least.

But does anyone know exactly WHY they're required? I thought I remembered something (don't know if it was true or not and I'm going off of memory) that Britax required them because they didn't pass the 65 pound limit without them. Now that I think about it, it might have been from a thread about the differences between the MA and the FPSVD and that fact that the FPSVD only went to 55 pounds because it didn't have HUGS. I remember thinking that was crazy and not really believing it - because if that WAS the case, then someone could theoretically add HUGS to the FPSVD and use it to 65 pounds.

If that's really the case and the only reason Britax can safely list a 65 weight limit on the MA (and an 80 pound limit on the Regent, for that matter) is because of 2 peices of rubber, that must be some seriously special rubber.

 

crunchierthanthou

New member

• Jan 18, 2008

• #15

this is my understanding from hanging out here- It was only an older Britax seat that failed head excursion in crash tests (super elite?). It was the first one to use them, now HUGS are required ff on all Britax HWH seats. They help distribute the crash force over the webbing and hold it in place.