Precious Cargo: Re-designing Safety with Britax Car Seats

Alamo City Moms Blog is excited to partner with Britax to bring you information about the newest technologies in car seat safety, including the re-designed Britax Advocate and the brand-new Anti-Rebound Bar.  A few of our team members, as well as local bloggers, attended a luncheon sponsored by Britax, The Bread Box San Antonio, and Baked Goodness to learn more about these new products and how to keep our precious cargo as safe as possible. 

Alamo City Moms Blog and Britax will be giving away an Advocate ClickTight ARB live today, September 15, on San Antonio Living! Tune in at 10:00 A.M. for a chance to win this amazing car seat ($430 value). 

Most of the time, when I glance in my rear-view mirror, I’m delighted to catch my son’s eye and a mischievous little grin. Other times, I see him red-cheeked and sleeping soundly, without a care in the world. Still other times I look back and see an empty seat, a constant reminder that I carry precious cargo.

I know the statistics, according to the Centers for Disease Control:

  • In 2014, 602 children between the ages of 0-12 died as occupants in car crashes and more than 121,350 were injured.
  • In one year, more than 618,000 children between the ages of 0-12 rode without the use of a car seat, booster, or seat belt at least some of the time.
  • Of the children who died in car accidents in 2014, 34% were not buckled.
  • Estimates of improper installation and usage of car seats and boosters range from 59% to 75% for car seats and up to 20% incorrect usage for boosters.

For all the information that’s out there regarding safety and precaution, how do you know you’re doing what’s right? Frankly, you can’t know. But, recently I had a chance to sit and hear from one of the safety specialists from Britax as she talked about choosing safety like you would insurance. We can’t ever know for sure what may or may not happen, but, given the option, we all choose what’s best for our children.

I got to see some of the best when Britax brought their newly designed Advocate ClickTight ARB car seat to a gathering of local moms. I’m already a Britax user and know about their dedication to using technology for making the safest car seats on the market. This new model goes a step further, introducing two key features: ClickTight Technology and the SafeCell Impact Protection, which includes an Anti-Rebound Bar.

britax car seat

The Anti-Rebound Bar is to be used while a child is still rear-facing, which the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests is up to two years of age. It specially blocks further movement on impact, stabilizing the seat in front, rear, and side impact collisions. It reminds me of the lap bar on a roller coaster ride. Sure, you have the lap belt and buckle doing the most of the work, but the bar keeps you securely in place over all the dips, bumps, and turns.

The other SafeCell features include multiple layers of special padding which collapse on impact, creating a better cushion and less recoil or reverberating motion in the carseat. Another important feature are the special treads on the straps of the seat, which act like an anti-lock braking system for the car seat, allowing just a little give in the straps so as to prevent injury in the case of a collision.

britax car seat

When you’re ready to switch to a forward facing ride, the bar removes easily. The new Click-Tight Tensioning System makes the transition and installation easier than ever. Your car’s own seatbelt provides the security needed to make the seat work, making it usable in any vehicle. The base of the seat lifts up to reveal two openings on either side of the base. Simply weave the seat belt through the openings, and click into the buckle like you normally would. Push the seat back into the base and it automatically tightens to secure the seat.

I’ve always been a latch-system user myself and never felt like a seat belt was ever secure enough, but this simple system treats the base of the car seat like the lap of a rider, and secures it perfectly in place. I almost couldn’t believe how easy the installation was, until our personal safety expert confirmed that I had installed the seat in my car exactly as it should be!

britax car seat

With the new seat quickly and securely installed in my car, I was ready for the real test: my two-year-old son. Like any other afternoon, I picked him up and we sang our little seat belt song, “First thing’s first, we buckle our seat belt!” It took just a moment of adjusting the straps to get it just right, but, as you can see, he gave it “two thumbs up!”

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My five-year-old daughter was pretty bummed we didn’t have a new seat for her, too, but when these hit the market soon, we’ll be getting another.  It has the capacity to hold a child up to 65 pounds and 48 inches. We can get at least another year and a half out of it. And when you break down the cost per day, it’s like spending less than a dollar a day not only for the technology, but for the peace of mind.

I know I can’t protect them everywhere we go. There will be times when I simply won’t be there to keep them safe, but my car won’t be one of those places. No matter if I carry them in my car, my arms, or in my heart, they’ll always be my most precious cargo.

Learn more about Britax and the latest technologies by keeping up with their website and social media:

Learn more about where in San Antonio to go for information about car seat safety and installation:

Celina
Celina is a “professional volunteer” serving on multiple nonprofit boards and advisory groups. In her former life she started a nonprofit, which she left last year in the most capable of hands where it continues to thrive. In another past life she was a host and reporter for Texas Public Radio. She’s a “native” Texan and life-long San Antonio Girl. She attended school in Chicago where all she did was talk about how great Texas is. Her husband, Luke, is her high school sweetheart and the most supportive spouse you’ll ever meet. They have two children whom words can’t currently describe, but keep reading and you’ll get a pretty good idea who they are becoming.

1 COMMENT

  1. I saw the segment on San Antonio Living about car seat safety. My husband and I are expecting our first baby in January 2017. I registered for a Graco 4ever all-in-one convertibles car seat. Is this also a good brand or should I switch it to the Britax mentioned here? Also, I heard on the segment that there are places in town to get your car seat inspected. Where might some of those places be and how much does it cost for the inspection?

    Thanks!
    Shelby Johnson

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