Ugh! Look at what they are recommending...

Patriot201

Car-Seat.org Ambassador

• Nov 26, 2006

• #1

I was surfing the internet earlier and happened upon a website for the fire department in Arlington, VA (a VERY close suburb of Washington, D.C. and the home of the Pentagon, Arlington National Cemetery, and the Iwo Jima memorial).

Most of the advice on this site is good, but take a look at the third section- the one titled "Is Your Child Facing the Right Way For Both Weight and Age?" The second bullet under that section heading says "Infants should ride facing the back of the car until they are 20 pounds and as close as possible to age one (A and B)." The third bullet under that section heading says "A child over 20 pounds and one year of age faces forward (C)."YIKES!!!

Maybe I am reading too much into the site, but I would think that this advice would make some people think that infants who weigh 20 pounds and are close to age one can face forward and that a child over 20 pounds and a year of age must face forward.

Am I overreacting?

 

Last edited: Nov 26, 2006

Shaunam

New member

• Nov 26, 2006

• #2

Um, heck no you're not over-reacting! That's not just misleading, it's *wrong*. If we all write them they might change it.

 

tjham

New member

• Nov 26, 2006

• #3

And how about this?

"Use a booster with a shield (E) if your car has only lap belts."

 

Patriot201

Car-Seat.org Ambassador

• Nov 26, 2006

• #4

It is terrible isn't it?

I honestly am shocked!

 

Simplysomething

New member

• Nov 26, 2006

• #5

Sounds like they haven't updated their recommendations in YEARS.

Anyway to contact them about that information?

 

Shaunam

New member

• Nov 26, 2006

• #6

Off to the left, there's a contact button. I already e-mailed them.

 

F

flipper68

Senior Community Member

• Nov 27, 2006

• #7

Not to mention this:

The shoulder straps of the car seat go in the lowest slots for infants riding backward, and the highest slots for children facing forward.

Click to expand...

There's also no mention of LATCH/tether or checking that the seat belt is locked.

 

Shaunam

New member

• Nov 29, 2006

• #8

I got a reply!

Unfortunately, I didn't see that other out-dated stuff, so I only mentioned the rf'ing thing, but they wrote back and said they would be changing it! Yay!

Did anyone write about the other stuff and did you get a reply?

 

CandCfam

New member

• Nov 29, 2006

• #9

I think they must have taken the site down to update it, because it won't load for me.
Anyone else able to connect or not able to?

 

K

Kellyr2

New member

• Nov 29, 2006

• #10

Reminds me of the website my dad found that was a part of a GA DOT site. he googled and found it - it still said that children over age 4 did not need any type of restraint. I finally pointed out that the page said it hadn't been updated since 1999!

 

Patriot201

Car-Seat.org Ambassador

• Nov 29, 2006

• #11

Shaunam said:

I got a reply!

Unfortunately, I didn't see that other out-dated stuff, so I only mentioned the rf'ing thing, but they wrote back and said they would be changing it! Yay!

Did anyone write about the other stuff and did you get a reply?

Click to expand...

That's great!!!! THanks!!!

 

tjham

New member

• Nov 29, 2006

• #12

I sent them this:

Sent: Sunday, November 26, 2006 9:24 PM
To: Webmaster
Subject: Website Comment: Carseat Safety

The following comment has been submitted from the Arlington County Website by

Name: T
Subject: Carseat Safety
Comments: Your site is generally good but several areas have incorrect information. It says when a child weighes 20 lbs and is as close to one year as possible (that's a stange way to put it) they can face forward and implies that after one year they must face forward. That is simply not true! With all the convertible seats available now that rear face to 30-35 lbs. a child is 4 times safer rear facing to the limits of the seat, which is what the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends! And this comment: "Use a booster with a shield (E) if your car has only lap belts." Shield boosters are not recommended AT ALL anymore. In fact, I don't think they are even made and old ones are illegal.
Their response:

Dear T,

We would like to thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. You are correct that any child should ride rear-facing as long as possible and that they should not ride forward facing unless they are at a minimum of both one year old and twenty pounds. Since our semantics are confusing, in reference to riding rear-facing in both infant and convertible seats, we are in the process of changing the website's information.

Kara Van Graafeiland
Public Education Specialist
Arlington County Fire Department
1020 N. Hudson Street
Arlington, VA 22201
703-228-4659

 

Simplysomething

New member

• Nov 29, 2006

• #13

WTG!

Glad that they were receptive to the correct information.