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Boosters improve: Most new seats provide good belt fit; Two Safety 1st models are not recommended as boosters

October 25, 2012 Comments off

Boosters improve: Most new seats provide good belt fit; Two Safety 1st models are not recommended as boosters

Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

Fifteen of 17 booster seats introduced in 2012 earn the top rating of BEST BET from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, evidence that more than ever, manufacturers are designing seats to provide good safety belt fit for booster-age children.

The improvements mean that BEST BET boosters now outnumber seats in any of the three other categories for the first time since the Institute released its inaugural booster ratings in 2008. Boosters are supposed to improve how adult lap and shoulder belts fit children so the belts can properly restrain them in crashes. BEST BET boosters correctly position belts on a typical 4-to-8-year-old child in almost any car, minivan or SUV.

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In all, there are 47 BEST BET boosters for 2012. The new rankings include the latest models, plus older top-rated designs still on the market. Five seats are a GOOD BET, meaning they provide acceptable belt fit in most vehicles. The 37 boosters in the Check Fit category may provide good fit for some children in some vehicles, but not as many as a BEST BET or GOOD BET. As with any booster, parents should make sure the lap belt lies flat across their child’s upper thighs and the shoulder belt crosses snugly over the middle of the shoulder. If not, try a different seat.

Categories: children and families, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, lists and rankings, motor vehicles, safety

High-tech system on Volvos is preventing crashes

July 25, 2011 Comments off

High-tech system on Volvos is preventing crashes
Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

Vehicles are doing a better job of protecting people in crashes, but a new crop of advanced technology aims to prevent many crashes from happening altogether. A new study by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) finds that one kind of advanced forward collision avoidance system is working to prevent about a quarter of the common low-speed crashes that happen in everyday commuter traffic.

The study of insurance claims found that Volvo XC60 midsize SUVs outfitted with a standard collision avoidance feature called City Safety are far less likely to be involved in low-speed crashes than comparable vehicles without the system. City Safety is designed to help a driver avoid rear-ending another vehicle in slow-moving, heavy traffic. Claims under property damage liability coverage — the insurance that pays for damage to vehicles that an at-fault driver hits — were filed 27 percent less often for the XC60 than other midsize luxury SUVs.

Categories: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, motor vehicles, safety, technology and internet
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