Car seats and car accidents

[gordo]

I was rear-ended this morning and then pushed into the car in front of me. I am ok and luckily my daughter was not in the car with me. Just wondering how I know if my carseat is ok?

[AddiesMom]

Here is what Britax has on their website. In some states insurance covers new car seats. Also, sometimes car seat companies (Britax I know of) will replace the seat if the accident meets certain criteria.

Britax Website: Britax recommends that use of a child restraint be discontinued if it has been in a severe crash. We further advise of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) position that it is not necessary to replace a child restraint after a minor crash. A minor crash is one that meets ALL of following criteria:

The vehicle was able to be driven away from the crash site;

The vehicle door nearest the child restraint was undamaged;

There were no injuries to any of the vehicle occupants;

The air bags (if present) did not deploy; AND

There is no visible damage to the child restraint.


If your Britax child restraint has been involved in a severe crash, it may be eligible for consideration for a new one of the same or similar design. See the Voluntary Crashed Restraint Exchange section of our website for more details.

[gordo]

Thank you so much! I do have a Britax DC and the accident is considered minor based on their criteria. Maybe I will bring it in to the fire dept and have them check it out, but it sounds like it will be ok!

[gordo]

Well the insurance company offered to get me a new seat, so here is my question. I had a Britax DC. DD seems to like it and it is a very comfy seat, but a huge PITA to tighten the harness. Do I get a new DC, go for the BV or any other suggestions?

DD is almost 1 year and about 18lbs and 28 inches.

[momofjoshuanlogan]

Glad you are ok. If I was you I would get another DC. I have a marathon and I wish I had the DC, because it will last longer.

[tjham]

Just curious - why would the DC last longer than the MA?

[lizajane]

i was rear ended while i was stopped and the car that hit me didn't have time to hit the brakes. i suppose you could say my accident met the criteria from the britax site as minor, except that i had pretty bad whiplash. my head hit the headrest REALLY hard, even though i saw her coming in my rearview mirror.

my car was totaled. it was a very old car, so it didn't take long for the repair total to get high enough to total the car. but i did get pushed into the car in front of me, doing damage to the back, the side and the front of the car. (the sides were mashed in when the front and back were smushed.)

both of my kids were in the car.

they are both in brand new seats. there was no way in heck i was putting them back into the wrecked seats. i just don't take chances. their seats kept them 100% safe in the wreck and i have never thought $500 was more well spent. they were both in britax seats. (dylan was rear facing at 14 months old and 21 lbs.)

[momofjoshuanlogan]

I think the DC will last longer because it has higher harness slots and an adjustable crotch strap. My son is 4yo and 41in. He only has a couple of inches above his shoulders before he outgrows the seat.

[momtoB]

Actually the DC/MA/BV have about the same height harness straps. They have the same size shell, just slightly different features. As for the adjustable crotch strap as I understand it, at it's largest adjustment, it's about the same as an MA/BV's crotch strap. The DC is a good seat for a newborn because of the crotch strap and infant pillows, but if you're buying for a toddler, I prefer the Blvd, because of the TSIP. That's what my ds rides in and it's a very comfy seat. You might want to try it out first in the store though. The head wings might bother some kids. They don't bother my ds at all though.

hth.

Cheryl
ds-4/21/03 (still r/fing in a Britax Boulevard)