Severe Car accidents and LATCH *death mentioned*

TheQueenMother

New member

• Aug 24, 2006

• #1

Okay, I have read crash test info on what is safer when comparing BPB w/ 5 pt harnessed seats. however, we recently had a car accident in our family where dh's cousins children and spouse were killed in an accident. None of the kids were in car seats (ages 9, 7, and almost 6).
The impact of the crash knocked the cab off of the chassis of the truck, causing the first responders to have to climb over the frame to get to the cab.
Now I realize that there is no sure fire way in all crashes to be protected, but I have really been bugged by the idea that if we were involved in a crash of this magnitude, the LATCH might be less safe than a seat belt would be. My girls are both in MA seats in my suburban, 1st bench seat, middle and outboard passenger positions using LATCH. I can shake my suburban shaking my seats and there are permanent indentions from the seats. I know they are tight. I just want covers made of bubble wrap and to know how to best protect them
What do you think?
Amanda

 

M

melaniev

New member

• Aug 25, 2006

• #2

I'm not clear why you are thinking that LATCH would make a difference. are you saying that it would be faster to cut the seatbelt than the harness? Maybe an EMT could answer that but I'm not sure why it would matter where you cut to release a person.
My best friend carries a spring-hole punch and seatbelt cutter in her glove box. I'm not sure with a crash of that magnitude something like that would make a statistically significant difference, since there are so many possible scenarios all with different outcomes.

I'm so sorry for your loss, that is awful.

 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor

Staff member

• Aug 25, 2006

• #3

I'm not a current EMT, but I spent several years as a first responder and EMT in NY. I haven't seen too many seat belts cut up, and I rode in pre-latch days, but it wouldn't be any more difficult to cut a child out from a latch seat. And if it was and time was crucial they'd cut the kid out of the carseat.

It's always nice to hear of people who carry precautionary measures, but there have been many a time where the glove box is simply too crumpled to be gotten into, OR it's been squished and popped open and the contents are all over the car or splattered on the road. Like I said, I rode quite a while ago so I'm sure current EMTs and medics know about modern cars with the many crumple zones, but when I rode I saw many glove boxes, steering wheels, trunks, etc not at all in their previous shape.

Wendy

 

T

thepeach80

Senior Community Member

• Aug 25, 2006

• #4

I think her worry was w/ the truck being knocked off it's frame, wouldn't that basically undo the LATCH anchors b/c that's where they would be anchored? In that case I'm not sure it would be an safer b/c aren't seatbelts bolted to the frame too? Either way is not faster for a first responder b/c you can just as easily cut the LATCH straps as you can cut the seatbelt.

 

Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus

Staff member

• Aug 25, 2006

• #5

Pretty much agreeing with the previous post from the peach80, and so sorry for the original poster's loss.

I was just reading a thread yesterday on the Baby Center carseat board where in two separate crashes, kids in carseats were ejected due to apparent seatbelt failures in what sounded like severe high speed collisions. IIRC, A 2 year old in a harnessed seat was ejected and pretty much fine, but sadly a 3 year old in a belt positioning booster was ejected in another crash and did not survive.

But I'm not going to rush out and reinstall my DD's long seatbelt path installed Regent with LATCH, or my younger DD's RF LATCH installed Blvd. with the seatbelt. The way their seats are currently installed was the best way for me to achieve rock solid installations that shake the car when I check for any movement at the beltpaths.

Seatbelts aren't necessarily better than LATCH or vice versa, they're just two separate ways of installing carseats. Using LATCH or seatbelts properly with appropriate carseats is what's important IMHO to do what we can to protect our kids as much as possible.

Again my condolences to the original poster.

 

skaterbabs

Well-known member

• Aug 25, 2006

• #6

As far as the seatbelt failures, if the vehicles were Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep, it's possible they had generation 3 belts, which are known for releasing inappropriately. Thus far Dodge has refused to recall the belts though.

 

T

thepeach80

Senior Community Member

• Aug 25, 2006

• #7

skaterbabscpst said:

As far as the seatbelt failures, if the vehicles were Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep, it's possible they had generation 3 belts, which are known for releasing inappropriately. Thus far Dodge has refused to recall the belts though.

Click to expand...

Oh great, now I know after buying a brand new Caravan.

 

skaterbabs

Well-known member

• Aug 25, 2006

• #8

if it's brand new you probably have Gen 4 belts. I think they *finally* changed the design a year or two ago.

 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member

• Aug 25, 2006

• #9

(((((CONDOLENCES)))))

I don't have any other advice than what's already been said, but I wish you well....

 

Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus

Staff member

• Aug 25, 2006

• #10

skaterbabscpst said:

As far as the seatbelt failures, if the vehicles were Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep, it's possible they had generation 3 belts, which are known for releasing inappropriately. Thus far Dodge has refused to recall the belts though.

Click to expand...

I've also heard about those Gen 3 seatbelt issues. I double checked the Baby Center post, and the vehicles were a Kia Sedona minivan and a Toyota Sienna. Here are the links to the two newspaper articles posted if anyone is interested:

http://www.theeagle.com/stories/082206/local_20060822001.php (2 year old in harnessed seat in Kia Sedona)


http://www.theeagle.com/region/localregional/053005fatal.php (3 year old in booster in '98 Toyota Sienna)

(edited to fix duplicate link)

 

skaterbabs

Well-known member

• Aug 25, 2006

• #11

hopefully they'll figure out why the seateblts failed.

 

Y

yosemitesamiam

Guest

• Aug 26, 2006

• #12

I don't want to get off topic here, so forgive me if I do. What is the difference vehicle wise, between how a seatbelt is bolted to the frame, and how LATCH ancors are bolted to the frame? It seems to me LATCH depends highly on the seat's mounts, where the seatbelts are ancored to the frame directly.

Thanks all.

Sam

 

L

LEAW

New member

• Aug 26, 2006

• #13

Well in our van, the LATCH are ALL attached to the seats, as the seats are all removable, and the seats anchor to the car, so I guess the risk now becomes the seats releasing from the frame in an accident like that?

Does anyone know how to find out if I have gen3 or gen4 seatbelts? I'm assuming we have gen3 since it's a few years old.

 

Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus

Staff member

• Aug 26, 2006

• #14

This link may help you determine the type of belts - there's a FAQ link on the lefthand side of the main page about vehicles known to have Gen 3 belts: http://www.unsafebelts.com/

HTH.