Britax Roundabout Stands Up to Train

Wow, what a story!!  When I read this I just had to post it because I thought it was an amazing story, and it proves how important it is to not only buy the right car seat but to have it installed correctly.  I’m a big fan of Britax as well.

from www.safemama.com

I had the pleasure of receiving a Britax Roundabout 50 to check out after a heart clutching story broke on the news. An Elm Grove, Wisconsin mother was trapped in front of an oncoming train with her child seated in the back, in a Britax Roundabout. The father, following behind in a separate car rushed to her aide and while they managed to free the mother, the boy was still in the car when struck by the oncoming train. That boy, and his Roundabout 50 were unharmed.

I’ve always been an advocate of car seat safety and the importance of having your seats checked to ensure they are installed properly. But I have to wonder how much of it was the installation, and how much of it was the seat? The Britax Roundabout 50 features Britax’s Side Impact Protection which distributes crash forces, contains the head and body, and shields the child from possible vehicle intrusions during a crash.

It also feature’s their 5 point harness system which secures the child at the strongest parts of the body… much like race car drivers! this is one of their smaller contoured convertible car seats which can accommodate an infant as small as 5 lbs up to 50lbs. Because of the smaller base this seat can fit in most vehicles wonderfully compared to others. I’ve had this problem with some of the other seats we’ve tested in our Honda Pilot, where the base is so big that it creates less leg room for the child and for the driver. The Roundabout 50 eliminates that problem. My son was very comfortable in this seat. And knowing that it helped save a boy from a train impact doesn’t hurt!

Britax has a great reputation and for good reason… they rate well in Consumer Reports and have been proactive with regard to recalls, while continuing to improve the safety of their seats with research. But with any car seat, it’s crucial to have it properly installed or else all those great safety features are useless. Look for your local Child Safety Seat Inspector on SeatCheck.org or at USA.SafeKids.org.