Diono Rainier Convertible Plus Booster with Adjustable Head Support, Orchid

Safety In Style!‏

This is a story I hope you never have to tell.  It still makes me feel sick to write about it, but I think it is important to tell you.

A few weeks ago, I got a phone call early in the morning within a few minutes of seeing my husband and kids off to work/school.  I say ‘hello’ and hear my husband gasping for breath saying, “CALL 9-1-1!  CALL 9-1-1!”  I couldn’t hear much after that and the line went dead.  It felt like an eternity before I could talk to him again. 

My family was in a terrible car accident and our vehicle was hit in the side by another car and it was completely totaled.  Both my young daughters were in the backseat of our car and my husband was in the driver’s seat.  I was not in the car but I have heard my husband recount the details many times and I got to the scene ASAP when the police were there, which luckily was not long after it happened.  It was a frightening scene when I arrived.

Our Subaru spun, flipped on its side before deploying all airbags and flipping back on to its wheels.  You read that right.  It flipped back ON TO its wheels after being flipped on its side just from the impact.   

  I took the first picture at the accident scene.  That was the side of the vehicle that had flipped over to the ground.  My youngest daughter (age 1) was on that side.  The other two pictures were later at the towing lot of the site of impact. My oldest girl and husband were on that side of the vehicle.

I was shaking, upset and, yes, freaking out as I ran past EMTs and police at the scene shouting, “My kids are in the Subaru!”  “My kids are in the Subaru!”  I did not care who tried to stop me.  I was MOMMA BEAR at that moment running to my kids.

I saw Bob holding his neck and talking to an officer as I ran to the vehicle where the girls were still inside.  As soon as I could see both of their faces in the back seat of our car strapped into their car seats, I stopped shaking and immediately calmed down.  The damage and people that surrounded me, the terror in the girls’ eyes and the deployed airbags that made the car (our first really nice, yet still used car) look like it had inside curtains and dust flying everywhere were not the first things on my mind.  My husband and kids were alive.  Thank God.  Everything else was going to have to be dealt with later……and still is…..ugh….but, no time for that in this story….

BOTH of our kids were in the vehicle, and while both had bruises from the harnesses and freaked out about the ‘car exploding’, my husband (who had more serious injuries) and I believe they are HERE due to having five-point harness car seats that were properly strapped in at the time of the accident. 

LET ME REPEAT. 

We believe our kids are alive because of car seats. 

Yes, I want you to think about that and take this SERIOUSLY.  If it takes this terrible incident to speak volumes on the importance of getting a strong high impact car seat for your kids and keep them in five-point harnesses as LONG AS POSSIBLE, at least I can say there was one good from this.  It is WORTH the PRICE to get a safe car seat and to take the TIME to safely strap it in to your vehicle and to buckle your kids in safely each and EVERY time you drive.  No excuses.

Replacing Car Seats After an Accident is a MUST. 

Now, because of the accident, we had to get BOTH of the girls’ car seats replaced.  Yes, after a moderate to severe car accident, car seats are considered ineffective and MUST be replaced.  This is for your own child’s protection to ensure a continued high level of crash protection for child passengers.  Do this and properly dispose of the car seats involved in the crash.  The belts will need to be cut on the seats to ensure no one else tries to use it and insurance companies now request old car seats (and will do this for you) if you are getting reimbursement.

Car Seats that Offer Peace of Mind.

One of the car seats in the accident was a Sunshine Kids convertible (Sunshine Kids is now called Diono.)   Bob and I knew that we both trusted this brand and that it possibly saved our daughter’s life and were comfortable with getting another one as a replacement.

  This is the seat Brooke was in when the accident happened. 

Diono Rainier Convertible Plus Booster with Adjustable Head Support

We knew we wanted a five-point harness again to keep Brooke properly strapped in and we were happy to see that it is now recommended (although not mandatory) to keep kids in a five-point harness until they are age seven (and rear-facing until age THREE).  I wanted this post to focus on my older daughter’s seat because, I think, some parents may not think safety is as important when children are preschool or older.  However, we know now in this day and age that kids are safer in car and booster seats until age 12.  Seat belts in cars are designed to protect adults.  And, yes, I’ve heard it all before…..my parents didn’t do that with me and I’m alive, yeah, yeah….but did you survive an accident like this where that logic was tested?  Boy, I hope not!

Bob and I decided that the Diono Rainier Convertible Plus Booster that has an Adjustable Head Support what exactly what we wanted to give us the peace of mind that Brooke would be safe in the car.

I am sooo glad we never skimped on car seats for the girls.  Cars and car seats can always be replaced, but never people. 

I wish I could tell you that the girls are no longer freaked out about riding in cars or that everything since the accident has been easy, but that just isn’t true.  We are all a little jumpy, we are all dealing with financial aspects of this terrible crash and still dealing with the legalities and issues with replacing things on top of injuries.  BUT – my family is alive and we are so thankful that we have always put our safety above our wallets.

So, Please…

1. Read up and take your time picking out a safe car seat for your child.  Safercar.gov is a great website to use.
2. Go have your car seat checked to make sure it is properly strapped in.  No excuses!  Places do this for FREE.  Here is the website to locate a place who will check it for you!
3. Always strap your kids in their car seats correctly.  Each and every time.  There is no excuse to hurry.

More About Brooke’s new Diono Rainier Convertible/Booster Seat:

• 12-position adjustable head support and reinforced deep side walls with energy-absorbing foam for maximum head and body side impact protection
• Steel frame gives unmatched protection and durability for a 12-year product life
• Accommodates children rear facing 5-50 pounds and forward facing 20-90 pounds and in booster mode 50-120 pounds and up to 57″ tall
• Luxurious two-piece infant body pillow provides extra support and comfort along with memory foam in the seating area
• Space saving design allows extra room for passengers while providing spacious interior for child

  As an added bonus, we picked Orchid (there are several colors to choose) since purple is Brooke’s FAVORITE color, so while we are happy with the safety features and function, Brooke loves the color the best. 

Be safe, my readers!   

-xo Momma’s Bacon Family 

Diono Rainier Convertible Plus Booster with Adjustable Head Support, Orchid‏

http://us.diono.com

List Price: $ 287.99