Dentist designs emergency-release car seat

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
This dentist designed a car seat with a quick-release feature to get kids out of car seats when a vehicle is on fire or otherwise in danger.

There's an article here and a video here:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9r9YTvrVFw&feature=player_embedded"]YouTube - Child Safety Seat Emergency Harness Release System[/ame]

There are two versions of the seat. The one with the handle actually looks pretty interesting. (Not sure about the logistics of changing the harness height, rethreading if you accidentally release it while installing, etc.)

The one that puts all sorts of metal and plastic over the kid...not so much.

Then you also have issues of people moving an injured child instead of taking the entire seat out. Obviously in a dire situation, you'll do whatever, but people would likely be overzealous about using the emergency feature.

Anyway, at least this guy is approaching actual manufacturers instead of trying to sell it on his own.
 
ADS

Mama Jo

New member
Isn't this why European seats only have the buckle and not a chest clip? Wouldn't that be a slightly less expensive way to go? :whistle:
 

Mommy2Marcus

New member
It looks interesting to me as well. It is being done here in Alabama & it looks like they're looking for interested people. I wonder what they're looking for? I would be interested in calling about it.

I also agree that at least they're going through the manufactor instead of doing it on their own. Does anyone think this could be a good feature?
 

Mama Jo

New member
Does anyone think this could be a good feature?

The risk of malfunctioning or user error seems too great to me.

In the first one, there's no way to tell if the emergency release has been activated. After pushing (or pulling, I don't remember) on the lever, the child still appears to be safely harnessed. Until he is pulled out.

And the second one looks just plain dangerous. If I was going to have to push on the buckle to release the child anyway, I'd rather just have a seat without the chest clip.

The idea of a single release mechanism is nothing new. It seems like a practical safety feature, but I don't think anyone's going to get on board with these. Especially companies like Britax, who already make single release seats in Europe.
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
Thinking about this some more.

The one with the handle would be difficult/impossible to use when rear-facing since there wouldn't be much/any room to pull it.
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
Isn't the chest clip required by FMVSS? Good luck getting that to change.

Excellent point about not knowing whether the harness has been disengaged.
 

crunchierthanthou

New member
Isn't the chest clip required by FMVSS? Good luck getting that to change.

actually, no. the harness section of FMVSS 213
doesn't say anything about them. chest clips are required in the US in that every manufacturer uses them and states in their manuals they must be used. they don't have to be included, but I don't see them going away anytime soon. :shrug-shoulders:


Like others, I don't trust the first design. I could see an older sibling pulling the release lever or something. the second? well, it's just silly (as is the footage of the person unable to remove the child because the chest clip is still buckled).

More thoughts on this subject can be found here.

ah, thanks. like others, I missed that the first time around. :eek:
 

Defrost

Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus
Looking at it simply from the perspective of their own footage, we already have what's needed. Everyone in the videos immediately "hit the red button" to get the doll out of the seat. I wonder what the stats are on chest clips still being locked after crashes?

I dunno - the situations I've heard of where there was a true emergency (fire, drowning), if the bystanders were unable to free the child/carseat it was due to damage created by the crash, not because the harness was too complicated. I've heard things like "It wouldn't unbuckle," and "it was jammed," referring to both the carseat harness and the seat belt. Not that I've heard a lot, but that's been my impression from what I have heard, yk?

So how is this device going to hold up in a crash? What are the odds it's just going to jam like all the other moving pieces involved?
 

WhatAboutPuppy

New member
Don't you want to remove the child still in the car seat in case of spinal injury?? I mean, wouldn't running a nation wide commercial that simply says, remove child from car IN CS to help protect a potentially hurt spine??

And honestly, with how loose most harnesses are on children, unbuckling the harness and chest clip wouldn't take that long.

I'm cynical.
 

BeckC

Well-known member
I'm glad that the inventor is concerned about child safety, and I'm glad that he's going to car seat manufacturers first before just marketing his product.

That said... this is not a good idea.

In the first example, I have huge reservations about the whole setup. I think it would be way too easy to release by accident and you wouldn't be able to tell if the straps had been released. There's no way to adjust the strap height or tighten them. I also have serious doubts about the pins being able to hold the harness in place in a crash.

The second one is worse. It reminds me of a T-shield seat.

In the videos, the people went for the red button on the harness. Perhaps red release buttons on the chest clip would help people hone in on it? Although, I have to say, I am wondering about parents who cannot figure out how to unclip a chest clip that they had just buckled their child into. And if we're talking emergency rescue personel that can't figure it out, then we have an even bigger problem.
 

Austins-mama

New member
I can see the benefit of a design like that but I think it needs more work and testing. personally I would be more comfortable with just cutting the seatbelt and removing the whole car seat with the child inside espcially with the risk of spinal injury etc.
 

Wiggles

New member
I can think of a lot of places where this could be just as useful as they say. I like the 'top of seat' version better--though there may be a way to better locate it so that it won't add to seat height and be interfered with by the back of the seat in front.

I would say, however, that even if they're going to have a 'pull this thing,' they need to have a button as well specifically to avoid accidental release.

I mean, if a parent's in shock or crying or has smoke in their eyes? I can see it being hard to pull a child out of a carseat in an emergency. A bystander might not know how to open the carseat. The fire department or the police should definitely know how to, but lives are sometimes saved by people who don't have a lot of training or who have different training. If I go get my First Responder level First Aid, for example, while not a paramedic, I could be called into a largescale accident or emergency (if I register with the city, which would be what I would do) such as a many-car crash or large explosion. First Responder, at least here, doesn't teach about how to extract from a carseat. I know that for a fact (my brother has his). It would be obvious to remove the child with the carseat intact and in the carseat for spinal stability, but if that wasn't possible and the child had to be moved? I'd love to see something like this on carseats. It's faster than pulling out shears and cutting through the straps. The pull-top's mechanism looks simpler than what we see for a buckle, so less likely to jam.

I'd be for it if there was a way not to complicate the mechanism much more but make it more difficult to remove accidentally.
 

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Forum statistics

Threads
219,656
Messages
2,196,896
Members
13,530
Latest member
onehitko860

You must read your carseat and vehicle owner’s manual and understand any relevant state laws. These are the rules you must follow to restrain your children safely. All opinions at Car-Seat.Org are those of the individual author for informational purposes only, and do not necessarily reflect any policy or position of Carseat Media LLC. Car-Seat.Org makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis. If you are unsure about information provided to you, please visit a local certified technician. Before posting or using our website you must read and agree to our TERMS.

Graco is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org! Britax is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org! Nuna Baby is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org!

Please  Support Car-Seat.Org  with your purchases of infant, convertible, combination and boosters seats from our premier sponsors above.
Shop travel systems, strollers and baby gear from Britax, Chicco, Clek, Combi, Evenflo, First Years, Graco, Maxi-Cosi, Nuna, Safety 1st, Diono & more! ©2001-2022 Carseat Media LLC

Top