Now I realize that most folks go to an auto show to enjoy the experience of all the brands in one place at the same time or escape the sales pressure of visiting an auto dealership. Our Denver area show is in late Winter or early Spring (depending on the year) and a family may be enjoying an outing, kicking some tires and staying out of the weather.
For me, it's all of the above, and the opportunity to see what's new in the back seat, let me explain. As one of the most experienced car seat safety educators in the Universe, over 131,000 car seats reviewed or educated on with families, part of my commitment to family safety is understanding the space available in a vehicle, primarily the back seat.
A car seat technician, transportation safety professional with my background, is looking at the "system" presented by the family's combination of vehicles, person size, number of/ages of occupants and car seat(s). Adults vary in height, so the drivers, front passenger seat and sometime the folding splits in the second row, third row or folding down options will determine how much space is available. Vehicles present a well-defined volume of space and car seats use a predictable amount of space in the vehicle. What and how all these pieces fit together determined by seating position and the space available. It's a Tetrisy bunch of fun from my perspective.
Enter the auto show where I can sit in, photograph, adjust seats, look at anchor systems, visualize space, search for incompatibilities, test seatbelt geometry, imagine and do all the other things I like to do to educate myself on all the different vehicles and safety systems out there. It's what a "recovering" engineer, armed with a press pass, a Senior or Master Cars Seat Technician does.
Now, the real challenge, once distilled, getting this information to parents and caregivers.
This Blog is one vehicle to do so. Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Reddit, Telegram, and even X are ways to get the info out, but I'm not here to debate safety, I'm here to educate and support. The fact that you grew up with "Mom's right arm" as your car seat and lived isn't a testament to Mom, her right arm or anything else than you weren't likely ever in a life-threatening crash. There is no reason to debate the outcomes of the past, they stand on their own. We're here in the 2020's and most everything in our lives is fundamentally different from the 1970's or 80's.
Based on the laws passed at Federal & State levels, known science, vastly improved vehicle safety and other factors, the final challenge in safety is in-vehicle distractions. I'll go down that rabbit hole later but the bottom line, put down your personal device. If it's state law, like Colorado, please follow the law. If it's not law in your area, do it anyway.
There are so many topics on the list yet to cover. I'll mention a social media outlet previously not mentioned, YouTube. My first video on car seat safety was produced in 1987. Video technology has improved measurably since then, but it's still not yet where I can make a video for you. Yes, I can make a video for the masses, but solutions are personal, family oriented and with over a million vehicle, child and car seat combinations, a million more videos will not solve the problem of bias, incorrectness and misinformation online. You're always welcome to reach out to me. Cheers!
