Britax ClickTight Installation System

This is a sponsored post as a Britax Latina Advisory Board Member and Blogger. As always, all opinions, ideas, and stories stated here are clearly my own.

Our babies' and kids' safety is so important to us as parents.  So as parents we want the best safety features for the products we use with our children.  Car seat safety is very important to me.

BRITAX is incorporating the ClickTight Installation System in select seats (Frontier 90 & Pinnacle 90)beginning May 2013.  What is the ClickTight Installation System?

The ClickTight Installation System is a series of components engineered to simplify the process of securing your child’s car seat into your vehicle using the vehicle seat belt instead of the lower anchors that are a part of the LATCH system (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children).

The ClickTight Installation System simultaneously tensions and locks the vehicle seat belt. The result is both a tight and secure installation using the vehicle seat belt. 

What are the benefits?

Installing a seat that features ClickTight alleviates both the confusion and stress that may come along with installing your child’s car seat. More specifically, ClickTight overcomes issues related to:
Lower anchor weight limitations in your vehicle

Achieving a tight installation

Determining which type of seat belt stsem is in your vehicle

Lower Anchor Weight Limitations

Lower anchors are a part of the LATCH system (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren). All vehicles have a lower anchor weight limit. That means when your child’s weight exceeds the weight restrictions or limits, the car seat should no longer be installed using the lower anchors. Instead you must install it using the vehicle seat belt system. Be sure to read your vehicle owner’s manual to confirm weight restrictions or limits for your vehicle.
The BRITAX ClickTight Installation System allows you to easily achieve a safe and secure installation using the vehicle seat belt throughout the life of the seat, in harness mode, without having to worry about your child’s weight.
Easily Achieving a Tight Installation

When installed correctly, a car seat should not move more than one inch side-to-side or front-to-back at the belt path. A car seat that is not installed tightly leaves your child vulnerable to injury in the event of a crash.

The BRITAX ClickTight Installation System allows you to easily achieve a safe and secure installation each and every time.* No shoving, kneeing, yanking, or tugging required.

Vehicle Seat Belt Systems

Locking latchplate, switchable latchplate, sliding latchplate, automatic locking retractor, switchable retractor, emergency locking retractor – any of these sound familiar to you?
Traditionally, installing a car seat using the vehicle seat belt requires you to know what type of seat belt systems are in your vehicle; there may be different installation instructions depending on the type of seat belt system you’re using.
The ClickTight Installation System eliminates that confusion. Regardless of what type of vehicle seat belt system is in your vehicle, car seats featuring ClickTight can be installed safely, securely, and easily every time.*

For more information, visit www.britaxusa.com

Ford Driver Wellness #NAIAS

When you think about car accidents, what do you always think caused the problems?  The car or the driver?  Safety over the years has been tested over and over on the vehicles but what about the driver.  Have we tested the driver?  Have we watched or observed their moves?  Their behavior?  What if we did, and what if we could?  What if this helped save a life?

Ford is working on a test program now to answer these questions.  The Driver Wellness program is still in the test phase but would be an awesome tool to have in the vehicles to prevent accidents from happening.

What is the Driver Wellness program?  The Driver Wellness program monitors the driver.

There are sensors in the vehicle that help monitor different variables every time you step behind the wheel as the driver.

Imagine if your car could save your life or the life of other by this data collected.  The driver does not have to do any extra work, everything is right in front of them.  The car would simply turn off or be turned off, it the situation called for it to.  Changes in variables could trigger the vehicle to know there is something wrong with the driver, and shut off process would begin.  This would be helpful for a person having a seizure, stroke, or heart attack.  My friend had a seizure behind the wheel a couple of years ago.  His vehicle crashed into an 18 wheeler trailer.  He ended up in a coma for several days.  We did not think he was going to make it.  But he did.  He survived but doesn't remember what happened.  Luckily no-one else was injured.

I can't wait to see where this program goes, and hopefully become available for our use to help save lives.

Disclosure-I was invited to attend the 2013 FORD NAIAS Digital Summit.  These are my own experiences I am sharing with you, any and all opinions are my own, honest opinions.

Safe Skin Review and Giveaway***CLOSED

With the cool Fall weather in the air, many of our kids are getting back to their favorite school-year sports activities. All that outdoor activity definitely brings fun and photo opps, but it also means the occasional scrape or minor cut is unavoidable, no matter how careful they may be. Cuts and scrapes are bound to happen, but what we can avoid is potential skin infections as a result of these minor injuries. That's why we're thrilled to introduce you to SAFESKIN* Kids Antibacterial Gel!

SAFESKIN* Kids Antibacterial Gel from Kimberly-Clark Professional is a new first aid topical antibacterial gel that provides a barrier to MRSA, highly contagious staph bacteria that can infect skin, invade other parts of the body and is resistant to many antibiotics. Available now at select Walmart stores, SAFESKIN* Kids Antibacterial Gel offers a long-lasting protective barrier on uninfected minor cuts, scrapes, and burns - up to 48 hours - if the bandaged wound stays clean and dry. And the non-greasy formula helps bandages to stay in place better!

$1 off coupon for SAFESKIN Kids Antibacterial Gel available at select Walmart stores: http://www.coupons.com/couponweb/Offers.aspx?pid=13306&zid=iq37&nid=10&bid=alk0914150954edec3c8da11818&cid=17555188


I have a giveaway-Win tube of SAFESKIN* Kids Antibacterial Gel

How to enter:

1)  Tell me about a situation where you could have used SAFESKIN. (1 entry)
2)  Facebook Share. (1 entry/per share/per day)
3)  Tweet. (1 entry/per tweet/per day)

Enter to #win SAFESKIN #kids Antibacterial Gel @independentmami #giveaway ends 12/3 http://tinyurl.com/bksk5vq
This giveaway ends 12/3/12 at 8 am.  1 winner will be randomly chosen.  Please leave your email in the comment.  The winner will have 24 hours to claim their prize.  US only.  Good Luck.

Latch it up

Did you know that there is free help for us to make safe choices about car seats and to help us use car seats properly for maximum safety?  I previously blogged about this but if you missed it here is very important information.

If you are a new parent or like me that I have not used a car seat in years, get your questions answered.  Times have changed are technology has gotten better and better.  There are so many resources for us to use.

Check out Child Car Safety.  The Ad Council and the NHTSA have created this site with all the resources parents need to keep their smallest passengers safe.  Find your local inspection station, watch instructional videos, and even take a fun quiz!

NHTSA has a Facebook page where parents can learn about everything from LATCH to locating inspection offices.

On Twitter an actual safety expert mans the @ChildSeatSafety account. They answer any questions that parents have about child passenger safety. This is such a unique resource from a government agency!

***Disclosure- No compensation was received.  Informational post only.