Sitting Safely

It’s not something many of us would freely admit to our children but, back in the day, seatbelts seemed more like punishment than precaution.

Maybe that’s because seatbelts weren’t mandatory in Alberta until 1987. So we’re not sure how our moms kept us secure in a car as infants (and neither do they, frankly)—but we’d rather not think about that.

These days, seat belts are non-negotiable. In fact, ‘parent–initiation’ is now the purchase of a car seat (so baby can go home safely from the hospital). Those bucket seats may seem self explanatory (if you manage to read and understand the manual through the sleepless haze of new motherhood). In truth, car seats are much more complicated than they seem and help can be hard to find (until you get pulled over and fined for having your seat incorrectly installed).

Seat Savvy Inc.’s founders and mom entrepreneurs Angie Aben and Toni Timpano take seat safety seriously. Following the birth of their four (two each) young children, Aben and Timpano became certified Child Restraint Systems Technicians through St. John’s Ambulance. Seat Savvy offers several services including Car Seat Clinics, House Calls (where they will inspect and install your seats) and Car Seat Consultations (before you buy).

We tested out their reasonably priced service and found Seat Savvy to be detailed and thorough. Aben and Timpano are clearly passionate about safety and found several issues with car seats owned by what we would call a veteran parent. Some examples include missing parts, a product recall and incorrect installation (yikes).

They also made some important recommendations. First, do not add any after market items to car seats including head huggers, strap covers or bundle bags. These items have not been crash tested by the seat manufacturer and interfere with the correct positioning of the seat straps. They also recommended keeping children rear facing as long as possible (minimum of two years) and then keeping them in a five-point harness until they are at least five.

It’s nice to know there’s at least one issue our kids can’t negotiate. Put that parenting power to good use by becoming an expert on the rules of the road. And besides, who can resist a savvy name like that?

Comments