Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Followup: NHTSA to allow vehicle-specific child seats after all?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/27/followup-nhtsa-to-allow-vehicle-specific-child-seats-after-all/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/27/followup-nhtsa-to-allow-vehicle-specific-child-seats-after-all/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/27/followup-nhtsa-to-allow-vehicle-specific-child-seats-after-all/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Last week Volvo announced a range of car seats designed with Britax specifically for Volvo cars. The same announcement also stated the seats wouldn't be for sale in the U.S. because NHTSA doesn't allow the sale of car seats only meant for specific cars. In our reader poll of your opinion, more than 80% of you declared the feds universal child seat mandate wrong.

Could it be a coincidence that today, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood wrote, "NHTSA will ... institute a new program to make it easier for parents to choose child safety seats for their specific vehicles"?

LaHood had ordered a review of child seat policy and the new program is part of the review findings. Although the program isn't specifically geared toward Volvo's development, it provides that "Manufacturers will recommend specific seats in various price ranges that work best for individual vehicles." The DoT is aiming for a start date in 2011. Hat tip to JM

[Source: U.S. DoT]

Followup: NHTSA to allow vehicle-specific child seats after all? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Apr 2009 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>babybjornbooster seatsBoosterSeatsbritaxcar seatsCarSeatschild seatsChildSeatsdepartment of transportationDepartmentOfTransportationdotinfantinfant car seatsInfantCarSeatsmaclarenmedelanational highway traffic safety administrationNationalHighwayTrafficSafetyAdministrationnhtsapeg pereloPegPerelosafetyvolvoMon, 27 Apr 2009 17:01:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1529399/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2009/04/27/followup-nhtsa-to-allow-vehicle-specific-child-seats-after-all/1529399/article-detail.xml 1529399 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/04/volvo_britax_dot_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/04/volvo_britax_dot.jpg <![CDATA[REPORT: Federal laws keeping Volvo from offering safer child seats [w/POLL]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/21/report-federal-laws-keeping-volvo-from-offering-safer-child-sea/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/21/report-federal-laws-keeping-volvo-from-offering-safer-child-sea/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/21/report-federal-laws-keeping-volvo-from-offering-safer-child-sea/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The safety-conscious folks over at Volvo have been hard at work with child seat maker Britax-Romer on developing a range of next-generation infant, child, and booster seats. And while the seats are going on sale elsewhere in the world, they apparently face an obstacle in the US: the National Higway Traffic Safety Administration. How's that? According to Inside Line, NHTSA mandates that every child seat must fit in every car, but the Volvo-branded seats have been developed to be Volvo-specific items, which means they can't be sold here - not even to Volvo owners.

According to an anonymous Inside Line source at Volvo:

"NHTSA has mandated that child seats cannot be vehicle-specific... every seat must fit every car - in our opinion, this just makes for an inferior seat.

The source goes on to say:

"We have requested rule changes by NHTSA and have been ignored. While NHTSA's rules certainly benefit all consumers, we have a solution that is the best solution for our cars.

Volvo's new infant and convertible child seats are highly adjustable and serve kids from newborns up to age six, with the latter seat able to keep older children facing the rear - something that hasn't previously been possible. The booster seat has eleven height settings and can serve kids up to age ten. The seats will go on sale in Europe and Asia this year, but Americans and Canadians are out of luck.

Be sure to check out the gallery below and vote in our "Is NHTSA right?" poll after the jump (where you can also read Volvo's full press release).


Gallery: Volvo Britax Car Seats


[Sources: Inside Line; Volvo]

Continue reading REPORT: Federal laws keeping Volvo from offering safer child seats [w/POLL]

REPORT: Federal laws keeping Volvo from offering safer child seats [w/POLL] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>babybjornboosterbooster seatsBoosterSeatsbritaxchildchild seatChildSeatinfantinfant car seatsInfantCarSeatskids linelifestylemedelapeg perego and maclarensafetyvolvoTue, 21 Apr 2009 12:57:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1520811/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2009/04/21/report-federal-laws-keeping-volvo-from-offering-safer-child-sea/1520811/article-detail.xml 1520811 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/04/volvo_britax_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/04/volvo_britax.jpg <![CDATA[Baby incubators made from used car parts]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/17/baby-incubators-made-from-used-car-parts/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/17/baby-incubators-made-from-used-car-parts/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/17/baby-incubators-made-from-used-car-parts/#commentsFiled under: ,

Incubators for newborn babies are tasked with providing a clean and warm environment for children too small or premature to survive on their own. While the concept sounds rather simple, late-model incubators found in our hospitals are decidedly sophisticated and most require highly specialized parts. Making matters worse, the machines are notoriously high maintenance and cost upwards of $40,000 each. While the problem is bothersome in rich nations, thousands of incubators sit in disrepair -- hopelessly unusable -- in third-world countries.

Dr. Jonathan Rosen from the Boston University School of Management was determined to solve the dilemma. During his travels, Rosen observed that no matter how remote the locale, there always seemed to be a Toyota 4Runner in working order, a realization that resulted in a clever idea. Working with Design That Matters, Rosen decided to start with a 4Runner and "take away all the parts that weren't an incubator." The result was a new automotive part -based incubator that employs car headlamps for heat, auto filters for air purification, and a door alarm to signal emergencies. And that is just for starters. Best of all, the resulting contraption is easily transportable, simple to operate, reliable and only costs about $1,000 per device. While the 4Runner 4Babies incubator won't solve all of the world's problems, the idea is brilliant enough to earn our kudos.

[Source: New York Times, photo by Design that Matters]


Baby incubators made from used car parts originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Dec 2008 08:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Design that MattersDesignThatMattersIncubatorInfantJonathan RoseJonathan RosenJonathanRoseJonathanRosenPrematureRosenWed, 17 Dec 2008 08:31:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1403503/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2008/12/17/baby-incubators-made-from-used-car-parts/1403503/article-detail.xml 1403503 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/12/car_incubator_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/12/car_incubator.jpg <![CDATA[Kid Kustoms offers tins and fins for the jogging stroller]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/02/kid-kustoms-offers-tins-and-fins-for-the-jogging-stroller/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/02/kid-kustoms-offers-tins-and-fins-for-the-jogging-stroller/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/02/kid-kustoms-offers-tins-and-fins-for-the-jogging-stroller/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Kid Kustoms, offering "Vintage Tins and Fins for your Tots," has brought a serious touch of class to the boring jogging stroller. It's time to ditch the ho-hum toddler hauler in exchange for one of these custom, and collapsible, composite lightweight strollers. Whether you choose the Classic, Signature or Kustom series, each design is available with unique fins, fenders and pin striping (Flame or Primer versions are optional) in an array of vibrant colors that harken back to a different kind of cruising. And these baby strollers aren't just quick chop jobs. The quality and craftsmanship, from their seamless welds to polished chrome, appears to be first-rate. Of course, a product of this caliber will command a premium price. To surround your little bundle of joy in something the other moms (and dads!) can't help but envy will set you back between $2,000 and $3,500. Oh, the cost of being cool...

Gallery: Kid Kustoms Strollers


[Source: Kid Kustoms]

Kid Kustoms offers tins and fins for the jogging stroller originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Apr 2008 14:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>CarriageCustomInfantJogging StrollerJoggingStrollerKid KustomsKidKustomsStrollerToddlerWed, 02 Apr 2008 14:56:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1156059/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2008/04/02/kid-kustoms-offers-tins-and-fins-for-the-jogging-stroller/1156059/article-detail.xml 1156059 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/04/new_001c_opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/04/new_001c_opt.jpg <![CDATA[Evenflo recalls 450,000 car seats for defective handle]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/10/evenflo-recalls-450-000-car-seats-for-defective-handle/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/10/evenflo-recalls-450-000-car-seats-for-defective-handle/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/10/evenflo-recalls-450-000-car-seats-for-defective-handle/#commentsFiled under: ,

Evenflo Company Inc. in conjunction with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced a recall of 450,000 units of its Embrace Infant car seat/carriers. The defect has to do with the carrier's handle, which may unexpectedly release while the seat is being carried and tilt forward, potentially causing the infant to fall out.

While the defect doesn't have anything to do with the seat's use in a car, Evenflo has received reports of 160 injuries that have been caused by the defect, including a fratured skulls and other injuries. As such, we thought it prudent to make sure every auto enthusiast with children is aware of the defect so that the news can be passed along to other parents. Owners of the Evenflo Embrace car seat/carrier can contact the company at its website. The recall includes seats that have model numbers beginning with 317, 320, 397, 398, 540, 548, 549, 550, 556, 597, 598 or 599.

[Source: CNN Money]

Evenflo recalls 450,000 car seats for defective handle originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 May 2007 15:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>car seatCarSeatembrace car seatEmbraceCarSeatevenfloinfantrecallThu, 10 May 2007 15:28:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/893449/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2007/05/10/evenflo-recalls-450-000-car-seats-for-defective-handle/893449/article-detail.xml 893449 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/05/embrace_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/05/embrace.jpg -1 2