Make Carpooling Safe with Booster Seat Alternative

Around 18,000 children are injured or killed in automobile accidents each year. And even though most states require children to use a child safety seat until they are at least six or eight years old and weigh 60 lbs, it is estimated that 80 percent of car seats and boosters are still installed improperly or not used at all which constitutes for 90 percent of those injuries. In addition, when a child reaches 40 pounds and outgrows a 5-point harness (a standard restraint in infant and toddler car seats), parents turn to belt-positioning booster seats to raise the child in the vehicle and position the shoulder belt away from their neck to lessen neck injuries. However, belt-positioning boosters are still cumbersome, styled like "baby car seats," and can be easy for a child to wiggle out, leaving a child susceptible to serious head and knee injuries - until now.

Safe Traffic System Inc. has developed the RideSafer™Travel Vest to combat this growing problem by offering a safer, more convenient and portable alternative to the booster seat. The RideSafer™ vest absorbs the force of impact and distributes the energy throughout the body from an impact, reduces head excursion by allowing the child to sit directly on the vehicle's seat, and properly positions the vehicle seat belt on the child, while not restricting movement.

The unique padded design allows it to be comfortably worn by children from 3 to 9 years old and 35 to 80 pounds. It's safer, easy to install, compact, portable, kid friendly, and meets or exceeds Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS 213). The RideSafer™Travel Vest is available in two different sizes. The small size is recommended for children 35-60 pounds and the large size is used for children weighing 50-80 pounds. Both versions can be used with a lap and standard shoulder seatbelt system or with a lap belt and tether in the rear seat of any vehicle. And due to its compact design, it allows ample room for three people to ride in the back seat of a car and ideal for carpooling.

"We designed the RideSafer™ Travel Vest as a safer alternative to booster seats for families on the go," said inventor and Safe Traffic System, Inc. President, Paul Kim. "While parents find RideSafer™ as more convenient and safer than belt-positioning boosters, we have found that kids are more comfortable in the car and are eager to wear it outside of the vehicle or in carpools because of its soft high-tech fabrics and stylish appearance."

Unlike traditional car seats that are cumbersome and considered semi-permanent fixtures in cars, RideSafer™ is worn by the child and can be secured in any vehicle's rear seat (using the vehicle's lap and shoulder belt, for children 60 to 80 lbs.; or lap belt with the tether anchor, for children up to 60 lbs.) allowing for more comfortable seating. The vest positions the lap portion of the seatbelt properly along the thigh and below the abdomen, protecting organs where needed; and the shoulder belt stays on the shoulder, away from the neck. In addition, the vest accommodates the child's movements and includes a head pillow safeguarding children who may fall asleep in the car.

Furthermore, dynamic crash tests have proven that the built-in 5-layer lamination foam (situated in the vest's front) and the 3-layer force absorbing tether clip (which stretches in an impact) reduces the crash force transferred to the child's body by as much as 50 percent. In addition, RideSafer™ shoulder belt positioner is specially designed to bend during a crash so that it also will reduce and absorb the impact's energy.

Please consider the following solutions to common carpooling problems to help ease back-to-school parental worries and ensure a safer and less chaotic carpool experience.

• According to the National Safety Council, most carpool accidents occur close to home (www.nsc.org). In fact, 18,0000 children are injured or killed in automobile accidents each year. Safety belts are the best form of protection for passengers in the event of a crash, and can lower the occurrence of injury by 45%. The Solution: Everyone needs to be buckled up properly! That means older kids in seatbelts, younger kids in the RideSafer™ Travel Vest or a booster seat, and infants in child safety seats.
  
  

• One of the biggest hassles in carpooling is the transfer of bulky car seats or booster seats from car to school and then back again. The Solution: The RideSafer™ Travel Vest is one of the most practical and safety-conscious products on the market for children growing out of a 5-point harness. The RideSafer™ Travel Vest is not only safer than a belt-positioning booster seat, but also alleviates the hassle of lugging bulky booster seats between cars and school! Plus, the vest can fit inside a backpack or school cubby in between rides.
  
  

• Most US States require that children of pre-school and kindergarten age be restrained in a safety seat. But how many 5-year-olds want to ride in a baby booster seat? The Solution: RideSafer™ Travel Vest offers children from 3 to 9 years old - or 35 to 80 lbs - far more independence than a traditional booster seat while maintaining the highest standards of safety. Its unique, padded design allows for comfortable wear; it's also easy to install, compact and kid friendly, and meets or exceeds all Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

About Safe Traffic System, Inc.
Safe Traffic System, Inc. (STS) was formed to push the margins of innovation in car safety. Its mission is to improve the use of vehicle safety devices such as child car seats, seat belts, air bags, etc. that millions of drivers use every day to protect their lives and those of their loved ones. For more information, visit: www.safetrafficsystem.com or call (847) 329-8111.

The RideSafer™ Travel Vest is available at www.EliteCarSeats.com

(Courtesy: Safe Traffic System, Inc)