COVID-19 also created an even greater need for easier access to instruction, since social distancing requirements make it more difficult for parents to get the in-person installation help they often need. To take advantage of those safety benefits, consumers could use more information about proper car seat installation in vehicles. Proper installation and use of car seats can reduce injuries in a crash by more than 70% ( NHTSA), and booster seats can reduce the risk of injury by 45% ( CDC). Though car seat technology has improved considerably from the days of children sitting on telephone books or riding on package trays, research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that over half of all car seats are installed incorrectly. Now, parents, caregivers and grandparents who find it a challenge will have a tool to help them succeed.”ĭespite best efforts, vehicle crashes remain a leading cause of death among American children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “When Jen approached me with this, I saw the need for a solution. “I designed the parts for securely attaching a car seat myself, yet there is still some confusion about proper car seat installation, which can become a real problem,” Babian said. The conversation resulted in Toyota for Families – a new digital toolkit featuring detailed car seat installation instructions and video that officially launched in March 2021 for the Toyota Sienna. If even professional safety engineers and designers struggled with car seats, then many parents, grandparents and guardians also probably needed more help and information. While having lunch in the cafeteria of Toyota’s Michigan R&D facility in 2019, the pair’s conversation steered toward the confusion they had both experienced when installing different makes of child car seats in different types of vehicles. Lindsay Babian is a Toyota principal engineer of body design for seats and mother of one. Jennifer Pelky is a Toyota principal engineer of vehicle performance development for interior safety, vice chair-elect of the National Child Passenger Safety Board, and mother of two. Sometimes, the genesis is a random conversation between colleagues in the break room. Safety is always a priority at Toyota, and the drive for safety innovation continues every day. (March 23, 2021)–When engineering and design come together with a bit of serendipity at Toyota, any issue can be addressed – especially when the development of a solution is powered by a mother’s love and passion.
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