Sas Seat
Sas Seat Does my toddler have to sit in car seat on united flight? I'm flying from LAX-Europe w/ a layover in Chicago. We are flying w/ united from LAX-ORD and then SAS to Europe. My daughter wil...
Sas Seat
 Does my toddler have to sit in car seat on united flight? I'm flying from LAX-Europe w/ a layover in Chicago. We are flying w/ united from LAX-ORD and then SAS to Europe. My daughter will be over 2yrs old when we leave and I have bought a seat for her. When I talked to United airlines they told me my daughter has to sit in a carseat, but on their website it says: 'You may use an approved infant car seat on board the aircraft when you purchase a seat for your child. The seat must be an FAA-approved child safety seat device.' My daughters birthday is just 3 days before we go, so maybe they got confused with her age. So, is it a FAA law that she has to sit in a carseat? I'm a former Flight Attendant and I fly a lot with my three kids. Car seats are not required at this age. Here's the FAA page on car seats; http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_children/crs/ Most car seats sold in the U.S. are FAA approved. Children are safer in car seats. This has been proven. Also, from both my experience working on transatlantic flights and flying with my own children between Europe and California, I will say that toddlers this age are much calmer, more settled and more likely to sleep on the flight in their own, familiar car seat. I agree with you. I think they just didn't look closely at the date and assumed she was under 2. A lot of people are booking seats these days for under 2's for both safety and comfort. The real question is; do you need your car seat in Europe? If you do, bring it with you on the plane for sure. NEVER check a car seat as luggage. The airlines lose and break them all the time. They consider them "delicate" items, checked at your own risk and wont want to hear about it if anything happens. I really don't find it too much bother to take it with us. I strap it to a metal, foldable cart, sometimes with an extra bungee cord (some parents can use the LATCH straps to secure it) and away we go. They actually sell gizmos to cart car seats but they're kind of expensive and the cart works just as well. I would then either check, or borrow a stroller at my destination and my daughter could ride in this contraption up to about age 3. Since she liked to walk (she wasn't big on strollers in general) at least she had somewhere to sit if she got too tired. If the car seat you have is too big and bulky for travel, look into getting something smaller like the low-cost Cosco Scenera or look into the higher-harnessed seats if your car seat only goes up to 40lbs. You want to keep her in a 5 point harness (in the car) for as long as possible! I believe SAS allows FAA approved car seats but double-check directly with them; If you have a car seat waiting for you, great. You may want to look into a CARES harness restraint. Again, not required but safer and while they're expensive, often you can find them for rent on Ebay or Craigslist. http://www.kidsflysafe.com/ (Be aware that as a marketing gimmick, they actually recommend checking car seats on their site but this riles up a lot of car seat techs and is generally bad advice). For more information, ten years ago I wrote an article on this subject. It's based on both my personal and professional experience of flying with children. It's totally non-commercial and other parents from around the world have contributed; Have a good time over here in Europe! |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
How Your Vehicle's Side Air Bags Protect You and Your Passengers
Prior to 2007, side-installed airbags were optional. Automakers were not required to install them within their fleets. That changed toward the end of 2007. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) helped pass legislation requiring all automakers to have them installed by September 2013. Today, a growing number of vehicles come equipped with side air bags (SAs).
But how do they protect you and your passengers from injury in the event of an accident? We'll explore this issue below. I'll describe how these airbags protect your chest and head during a collision, and explain why many people are concerned about potential safety issues.
Types Of Side Airbags
There are three main types of SAs. The first type is designed to protect your head - and those of your passengers - in the event your vehicle is hit from the side. In this type of collision, an occupant's head can potentially slam into a side window. The second type is designed to protect your chest during a side collision. The third and last type is a combination of the previous two.
Protection For Your Head
Suppose you are involved in a front-impact collision. Following the impact, your body and head lurch forward toward your steering wheel and windshield. If you make contact at high speeds, the impact can prove fatal. Front airbags were designed to prevent your body or head from making contact after a front-impact collision.
As noted earlier, side-impact airbags are designed to protect your head from your side windows. For that reason, they are typically installed along the roof of your vehicle. Upon impact, they deploy downward and provide a buffer between you and the window nearest your head.
Sometimes, these bags cover the entire window. Other times, they cover the top portion and thus, are designed to protect adults. Moreover, some vehicles only have them installed for the driver and passenger in the front seat. Others have them installed for those in the row - or rows - behind. They are not meant to offer protection for occupants sitting in the middle.
Protection For Your Chest
Chest-protection side airbags might be installed within your vehicle's door panels or the sides of the seats. Currently, most automakers that have already begun installing them only do so for occupants sitting in the front of the car. Upon impact, the bags deploy sideward to provide a buffer between your torso and the door.
Combo SAs are primarily designed for installation into convertible cars. Because the roof on such vehicles can be removed or "taken down," these combination airbags are installed into the doors or seats.
Is There Safety Issues?
According to the NHTSA, there are no safety issues associated with side airbags. However, it is worth noting that the same claim was made regarding front air bags years ago. This was prior to reports surfacing of injuries and deaths involving children caused by the deployment of early versions.
Safety issues surrounding front-protection airbags have been all but eliminated over the last several years. The same may not yet be true regarding side-protection bags. As we approach the September 2013 deadline set by the NHTSA, the installation, materials used, and deployment protocols among varying automakers will likely become standardized. This will help resolve potential safety issues that exist today.
Automakers continue to test designs for their side-protection airbags in a variety of circumstances. This includes testing them to determine how effectively they can protect children and small adults during a side collision. Testing also involves placing crash dummies within the vehicle's cabin in specific body positions (e.g. laying across the back seat) to identify potential areas of exposure.
About the Author
http://www.neighborhoodauroglass.com-- For more info and FREE tips on autoglass repair just go to neighborhoodauroglass.com