Ford has announced that its newest innovation in child safety is the inflatable seat belt. In a report released by ConsumerReports.org, the benefits and potential pitfalls of this new safety feature are explored and brought to the attention of all us safety-conscious parents.

Of course the advantages of inflatable seat belts are obvious; the report cites the spread of the force of impact over a larger surface area and a possible reduction in head injuries, due to tighter belts. The disadvantages, though, could outweigh the positive effects that this new feature could have.

ConsumerReports.org asked Ford a few questions about the inflatable seatbelts and was highly satisfied with the answers. This new feature has been tested extensively and utilizes cold gas, so it will not cause burns. However, since the belt is thicker, child safety seats may be difficult to install until manufacturers adapt them to the thicker belts. I’m looking forward to more conclusive reports, but feel really optimistic about the direction that Ford is taking!

I’ve heard it more times than I can count and somehow I’m still not always prepared for those four words: “Mom, I gotta go!”  And now there’s somewhere to turn when that happens.

Finding bathrooms can be a real challenge, especially when traveling in unfamiliar places. Being prepared by knowing exactly where the nearest toilet is can be a lifesaver– not to mention a laundry saver– and SitorSquat.com has just made it a bit easier for parents on the go to know exactly where to take their kids when they have to go.

A virtual map of public bathrooms, SitorSquat.com allows you to search by address, zipcode, city, or interesection. As of today, their site boasts 103,572 toilets listed! But its more than just a list of locations. Much more. Each facility can have all of the following information:

• User ratings
• Features
• Description
• Category
• Contact
• Comments
• Photo

You can also contribute a new toilet entry via the Add a Toilet form.

Because, let’s face it, there’s no room for a laptop in the diaper bag, there are free apps for iPhone and iPod Touch, Blackberry and SMS/Text Messaging.

This news story really hits home when it comes to child safety. A tragic fire in Brooklyn, New York took the lives of 5 individuals, but one mother and father were able to save their two children before they, too, were killed in the devastating event. As the fire grew, and it became obvious that there was no other way out, one of the women trapped in the building strapped her two month old baby into its car seat and her husband bravely tossed the child down to people who stood on the sidewalk.

While the baby is in critical condition (reports indicate a fractured skull), without the car seat the child would most likely not have survived. Well-made child safety seats are designed to protect kids against impact and to absorb some of the force that these impacts create. In this case, the circumstances were unusual but the results were thankfully the same.

Image via Wikipedia

Be A Buckle Buddy! is holding their annual public service announcement contest open to college students in Illinois. This is a great promotion for car safety, as all of the contestants submit fully produced PSAs about seatbelt safety, and is a great resource that some of you with older kids can share. My kids are too young to enter, but they are definitely not too young to benefit from being properly buckled in or from hearing a great message relaying the importance of staying safe while riding in a car!

Click here to listen to the 2010 Winner

The State of Illinois requires by law that all children be properly restrained when a vehicle is in motion– meaning that proper car seats and safety belts are to be used at all times. Why not help your kids get involved in this great contest? University students can submit entries until 4:30 pm on Friday March 25, so go ahead and help your kids learn about safety while promoting a great message.

Looking at booster seats and wishing someone would just give you the inside scoop already? Well the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has done just that. The most recent IIHS Booster Evaluation Report categorizes seats into “best bets”, “good bets” and “not recommended”. What could be easier?

Ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety take the guesswork out of selecting boosters most likely to provide good lap and shoulder belt fit in a range of vehicles. Fit is important because safety belts are designed with adults in mind, not kids.

The criteria used by the Institute looks at the way the seat belt secures your child, and which parts of the body it comes into contact with.

According to the IIHS, here’s the definition of a Good Belt Fit.

Boosters elevate children so safety belts designed for adults will fit better. The lap belt should fit flat across a child’s upper thighs, not the soft abdomen. Good boosters have belt-routing features that hold lap belts down and forward. The shoulder belt should cross snugly over the middle of the shoulder. Then it’s in position to provide effective protection in a crash.

And then there’s a Poor Belt Fit.

Not all boosters provide good belt fit. Here the lap belt is too high on the abdomen, and the shoulder belt is too low on the shoulder.

The 2010 study evaluated 72 seats in all, resulting in 21 Best Bets, 7 Good Bets and 8 Not Recommended.

I’ll admit that I love the new car smell as much as the next person, but after reading this article I may reconsider strapping my kids into the backseat of a new car. Apparently, the new car smell is created by chemicals that are used to manufacture the interiors of vehicles. Three chemicals in particular, bromine, chlorine, and lead, can cause big health problems for people that inhale too much of them.

Edmunds.com, who released this information, has made it much easier for us parents to ensure that our kids ride in the safest cars by including a list of the top 5 safest and top 5 most harmful car interiors. They’ve also provided great tips to avoid the inhalation of too many chemicals, such as vacuuming the car thoroughly to get rid of chemical-laden dust and avoiding parking in the sun, which can heat the interior and cause the plastic in the car to release these chemicals. Sure, the new car smell is great, but I think we all will think twice before driving our families around in a chemical container.

Many parents cringe at the thought of a family road trip, not because you don’t enjoy the vacation…it’s because you have to get there before you can relax. The ordeal can conjure memories of fighting children, screaming infants, messy toddlers, and incessant repetition of the one phrase kids seem to love the most: “Are we there yet?” For kids, though, road trips can be just as bad. Hours and hours in the same car, in the same seat, with nothing to do. Eventually even the ever-changing scenery seems to stay the same. Doesn’t sound like a good time for anyone involved, does it?

But what if kids had an activity that would keep them engaged, keep their mind off of the miles that were ticking by, and keep their focus on games and other activities that help pass the time and sharpen their observational skills and creativity? What if parents could enjoy road trips and bond with their kids during the hours that they have to spend together?

Klutz, a company that is known for its kid friendly products, has released a book called Kids Travel: A Backseat Survival Kit. True to its title, the book is loaded with activities, both for individuals and for groups, that are suitable for any car ride for children aged eight and up. The book contains several different games and other features that will keep kids’ minds active (and their little bodies still) during long trips.

Graco has been a popular name for parents for years and is known for its innovative products designed to keep kids both comfortable and safe. From car seats and strollers to highchairs and swings, Graco offers a versatile line of products that parents have put to good use for decades. The new Graco 3-in-1 Smart Seat is no exception, doing duty as three different seats in one– a forward facing seat, a rear facing seat, and a booster seat.

See the Ultimate Graco Smart Seat Review at CarseatBlog.Com for a very detailed and well-documented article with lots of pics.

Comparing the safety features and ratings of numerous makes and models of vehicles can take more time and energy than many of us have. Even though safety is at the top of my list as a parent, I’ll admit that I don’t always have the time to do as much research as I’d like.

Thankfully, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has made our job a little easier by annually announcing its Top Safety Picks. The vehicles on this list are the ones that provide the highest level of protection during an accident, as well as features like electronic stability control that actually help avoid crashes. Last year the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety upped the standards concerning roof strength and protection in a rollover crash. Manufacturers complied in impressive numbers, resulting in a total of 66 vehicles on the list of Top Safety Picks.

Thanks to this list, we can shop for a new vehicle with more confidence.

In case you’re not aware, bulky coats and winter clothes can compromise the effectiveness of your child’s car seat. So what to do to keep your little one warm and comfortable while riding in the car during cold weather? One product that aims to fill this exact need is the Hugs-A-Lot Car Seat Blanket. Less bulk means more comfort and ease of movement while maintaining the all-important safety factor.

Read this review from a mom who’s also a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician and Senior Checker with Safe Kids USA.