techs, I need help!

[jhrabosk]

In the unending quest to be absolutely sure before buying our convertible seat...

We went to Buy Buy Baby yesterday to make sure the Decathalon will fit in our backseat. We tested it in the center RF position. Two issues that arose:

#1
The sales guy told us (and I'm pretty sure this is inaccurate, but wanted to check) that the seat shouldn't touch the front seats (it fits right between). Now, I'd imagine that if this were true, we'd all be driving tanks, but please confirm?

#2
The Britax manual shows a picture of how the receptacle end of the belt (it's a lap belt only install) shouldn't be too close to the seat. Ours comes up pretty high. I think I had read here about twisting a seat belt to shorten it? Can I do this on the short end of the seatbelt? Any other ideas/suggestions?

Let me know if you need me to clarify at all. I plan to take this seat to the local police station to have the install checked, but when I went with my Snugride, I didn't feel 100% confident that he knew all his facts (some conflicted with what I was told by the techs on this board).

TIA!
Jessica

[DebbieJ]

It's okay to touch the seat backs.

I know that there has been talk of twisting down the seatbelt--the part the belt clicks into--and I have done it once myself (in my sister's Volvo wagon), but I'm not sure on the safety specifics of it.

~ deb
DS born at home 12/03
2 year check up: 25 lbs with clothes on and 35 inches!
BFARed for 20 months and 6 days
(Breastfeeding After Reduction is possible! www.bfar.org)

http://www.bfar.org/members/fora/style_avatars/Ribbons/18months-bfar.jpg

[Scatterbunny]

#1
There are some seats that are not allowed to touch the front vehicle seats, but Britax DOES allow this, and it actually has a technical term: "bracing". It's actually considered preferable by some to brace a RFing seat to prevent overrotation, especially with a child RFing to the maximum limits of the seat. The crash test video of a RFing seat at http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/stayrearfacing.aspx is of a braced and tethered seat.

Also, for future reference, a 45 degree recline is only necessary for newborns and little babies without good head control. Once baby is older and has good head control you can make the seat as upright as is comfortable for baby. That little tidbit means that even the big Britax convertibles will usually fit in a wide variety of small vehicles.

#2
Twisting the buckle stalk (the female end, usually the short end) a maximum of three full twists is allowed to remedy the problem of the latchplate and/or buckle ending up in the carseat's belt path. Each twist reduces the strength of the seatbelt webbing by a certain percentage (can't remember the exact number at the moment) but experts agree that UP TO three full twists is acceptable.

HTH!

Jenny

[jhrabosk]

Thanks for this...it's exactly what I needed to know.

I have heard that the recline doesn't need to be 45-degree, but I don't understand how to achieve that in-between. It seemed to me in the store that the seat either goes upright or reclined...if it's upright and I tether it down, won't the base lift up off the seat?

Also, a tether question...if DD is in the center position, we probably won't be able to tether straight down to the floor, but rather to one side or the other (to attach to one of the front seats). Is that a problem?

Thanks again!
Jessica

[Kat_Mom2D_J_andRuthie]

it's fine for it to touch the backseat... only certain vehicles prohibit outright bracing, but touching is always fine... the vehicles that prohibit bracing do so because of WHIPS (not sure what that stands for)

you can definitely twist the female end of the buckle (the short end) up to 3 full (360*) twists... we have to do this in the third row of our van for any seat.

here is the link for finding a tech in your area: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps/Contacts/index.cfm

[o_mom]

You set the seat in the reclined position for rear-facing, then when you install it, you will be pushing down on the front of the seat (toward the rear of the vehicle) as hard as you can. This will pull it into a more upright position while you tighten the seatbelt. After the belt or LATCH is as tight as you can get it, then attach the tether and pull it tight - that will bring the back of the seat down to whatever angle you desire. The base won't come up, but rather the seat cushion will compress.

It is OK if it is off to one side, the tether hook slides along, so you can make one side shorter than the other. Just press the top center of the seatback down and hold it while you pull the tether through the hook and take up the slack.

[o_mom]

Here is some info on WHIPS from Volvo:

"Volvo safety engineers are also tackling whiplash injuries, a frequent result of vehicle collisions. Whiplash results when an car occupant's head is thrown backwards, usually the result of low-speed rear-end collision. Neck pain, stiffness, tenderness, numbness and even neurological dysfunctions can result from whiplash injuries. Volvo's Whiplash Protection Study (WHIPS) includes the design of a new seat in an effort to drastically reduce such injuries.

Immediately upon activation, the WHIPS backrest and head restraint move backward parallel to the individual's motion. The entire upper body and head of the occupant is cushioned in a balanced, gentle action while much of the crash energy is absorbed by seat. The head remains close to the head restraint to keep the distance between them small because that reduces the risk of whiplash. The backrest then tips backward to help reduce the typical forward rebound of the body which is a major cause of whiplash. The seat moves back about 1.5 inches during WHIPS activation. The seat back has also been designed to distribute crash forces more evenly along the back and neck to optimize protection of the spine. Autoliv is also collaborating with Volvo on the WHIPS system."

http://www.volvoclub.org.uk/press/pdf/1998-SafetyFeatures-PressDocV7-43.pdf