If you think child restraints have not improved over the last thirty years, just take a look at some of these photos. Doesn't it make you just cringe? At the time, it was all that was available and these seats probably saved a life or two, or many. Looking at them now, needless to say, it was better to use these than having a child unrestrained in a vehicle. Fortunately, the companies who made these seats have made a lot of progress over the years and newer companies go to great lengths to establish themselves as safety innovators. Who are the leaders in safety innovation? Are all car seat manufacturers equal? When searching for the "safest" car seat available, there are several things to consider: All car seats have to meet the same FMVSS213 standards. All car seat manufacturers self-certify their seats. All car seats are designed by highly trained...

Our children grow up way too fast. Can you remember when you put the crib together? Do you remember the ride home and thinking "They're sending me without an instruction manual? The nurse is not coming home with me?" Fast-forward to your independent 5, 6 or 7 year-old child who comes home and demands not to be put in a "baby" seat anymore. Car crashes are the #1 cause of unintentional death and injury to children. Every day an average of 4 children die and over 450 are injured. Some of those injuries are life-long. Statistically, we have seen a decrease over the years in the 0-4 year-old range. However, we have seen an increase in the 5-10 year-old range. There is a gap between the protection provided by a child restraint and the protection provided by the adult seat belt; "adult" being the key word. Seat belts are designed...

In the 1990’s, US government studies showed that most car seats were being installed incorrectly, even as car seat use was increasing. In response, vehicles and all car seats were required to include LATCH by September 2001. Studies have shown many benefits of LATCH use, from easier installations to improved CR (child restraint) safety with reduced head excursion and neck loads. (IIHS 2010 Observed Use of Tethers in FF CRS, Jermakian, Wells) NHTSA, SafeKids, AAP and other safety experts agree there are benefits to a child riding in a 5 pt harness to higher weight limits than the traditional 40 lb limit. There are now more than 30 CRs on the market offering a 5-pt harness for children over 50 lbs, yet only one CR is rated for LATCH installations over 50 lbs; The Radian R-Series. DIONO makes installation easier for parents. Important CPS Tool: The LATCH Manual. Order it online:...