Car Air Bags & Child Safety | Vehicle Air Bag Safety Tips

Air Bags & Child Safety

In the U.S., every car, SUV, van and truck manufactured since 1998 is equipped with air bag safety technology. According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, 50,000 lives have been saved over a 30-year period because of air bags.

Car and Vehicle Air Bags: What Parents Need to Know

While there is no doubt air bag technology has played a huge role in helping to make automobile travel safer, there are some important things to know about them, particularly when it comes to children riding in vehicles.

In this blog, let’s take a look at air bags, how they work, and what you can do to ensure that children riding in your car are as safe as possible.

The History of Air Bags in Cars

The concept of an air bag actually dates back to the 1950’s and 60’s, but the technology available at the time made them impractical. By the 1980’s, there were great advancements in air bag design and functionality, and a decade later, they were standard in all U.S. vehicles.

How Vehicle Air Bags Work and Protect Passengers in a Crash

The basic idea of an air bag is simple. During a collision, it is designed to rapidly inflate, preventing people from slamming into a vehicle’s interior components, such as the dashboard, or windshield.

In today’s most modern cars, air bags are not only located in the steering wheel and passenger dashboard areas, but also on the sides and lower portions of a vehicle’s cabin. Based on the type of collision and impact point, a car’s sensors will determine which airbags would be best to deploy in the protection of passengers. Upon deployment, they inflate incredibly fast in order to cushion the physical blow that people experience during an accident.

Car Air Bags and Children

Air bags have proven to be highly effective in helping to prevent serious injury in adults, but they can be dangerous to young children and babies. Because of their smaller stature, child passengers can be severely injured or killed when impacted by exploding air bag.

How to Keep Children Safer with Vehicle Air Bags

The good news is adults can take proactive steps to help make car travel safer for young children with respect to airbags. The following is important information to know.

Car Air Bag Safety for Infants, Toddlers, and Older Children

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, all children under the age of 13 should ride in the backseat of vehicles. Depending on age, they need to be either secured by seat belts, or placed in a car seat, or booster seat appropriate for their size and weight.

Infants & Toddlers

Rear facing car seats should always be used for infants and toddlers. It is best to continue this practice until a child reaches the height and weight limitations for their specific car seat.

Car Seat and Seat Belt Guidelines for Preschoolers and Older Children

Children who have outgrown a rear facing car seat, should ride in a front facing seat, secured with the seat belt, and a harness attached to a back-anchor clip. This practice should be followed until a child outgrows the seat according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Older children should always ride in the back until the age of 13, or when reaching the age of 9, be 4’ 9” in height, and at least 80 pounds.

Whether it be front or back, older children need to be securely fastened by their lap and shoulder belts, properly adjusted for their size.

For parents who need help installing car seats, many police and fire departments offer car seat clinics, where they offer to install and secure a car seat for no charge.

Car-X Cares About Your Safety

For over 50 years, it has been the mission of Car-X to keep our customers and their cars safely on the road. Air bags are a proven safety technology, but parents need to follow established guidelines regarding them and children.

When your car needs repair or maintenance services, Car-X is your single source solution. Give us a call today! We’ll help keep you moving down the road!

Catalytic Converters

For nearly fifty years, the catalytic converter has been an essential component of an automobile’s emission and exhaust system. These devices have also been in the news in recent years, as they are frequently stolen from the underneath of cars.

What is a Catalytic Converter?

First appearing onto the automotive scene around 1975, a catalytic converter is an oval-shaped device that is connected to a car’s exhaust system. The converter receives toxic gasses from a car’s engine, and transforms it into less harmful pollutants. This is accomplished through a chemical reaction process inside the unit.

What is the Purpose of a Catalytic Converter?

The principle purpose of a catalytic converter is to reduce the amount of emission pollution a gasoline or diesel engine produces while running. Starting in the 1970s, many people were becoming concerned about the air quality in populated areas, as it related to the amount of pollution automobiles were producing.

Where is the Catalytic Converter Located on a Car?

The catalytic converter is normally located about halfway down a car’s exhaust pipe, between the engine and the vehicle’s muffler.

How Do Catalytic Converters Work?

When a car’s exhaust gases travel through a heated catalytic converter, several chemical reactions take place that reduce the amount of toxic fumes the vehicle emits into the air.

What is Inside a Catalytic Converter?

A catalytic converter has multiple components within its metal container that make it work. When heated, a ceramic material, known as a substrate provides a suitable surface area for the unit’s chemical reactions to take place.

The precious metals Platinum (Pt), Palladium (Pd), and Rhodium (Rh) are also contained in the device, which are responsible for the chemical reaction that cleans a car’s exhaust before it is released into the atmosphere.

Why Are Catalytic Converters Stolen?

Catalytic converters are often stolen because they contain the precious metals, Platinum (Pt), Palladium (Pd), and Rhodium (Rh). After removing the converter from a car, thieves extract these valuable metals from the device and sell them. These metals are considered rare, as they are mined mostly in South Africa and Russia.[/caption]

Criminal activity involving catalytic converters has skyrocketed in recent years, partly due to supplies being adversely affected by the worldwide Covid Pandemic.

How Are Catalytic Converters Stolen?

Stealing a catalytic converter from a vehicle is not easy. Thieves climb under a car with a reciprocating saw and cut the unit off the exhaust system. This process is extremely noisy, but only takes several minutes to do.

Are Catalytic Converter Thefts Covered By Insurance?

If an auto owner has Comprehensive coverage on their policy, the theft of a catalytic converter would be covered.

What To Do If Your Catalytic Converter is Stolen

Should you become the unfortunate victim of a catalytic converter theft, the first thing to do is remain calm. Call the police and file a report. It is also important to alert your insurance company about the theft that has occurred.

Car-X Can Help

Your friendly, local Car-X Tire & Auto can help if your catalytic converter is stolen from your vehicle. Our experienced technicians will replace the unit and restore your car’s exhaust system back to normal operation. We’ve been helping motorists with all types of car repairs since 1971, and we are here to assist you too.

Should your College Student Take their Car to School?

Back to school can be a time of big decisions for parents and students. One of the most difficult is whether or not to take a car away to college. Consider the following when making this decision:

• Responsible use – Has your child done his or her part in taking care of their vehicle so far? Have they driven safely and not had a problem with speeding tickets or accidents? Keep in mind the atmosphere of college inevitably means less supervision and more opportunities for poor decisions, so trust is a major factor.

• School policy – Colleges have varying policies on cars for students. Many universities don’t allow first-year students to bring cars to campus. If your student’s school does allow vehicles, the next thing to look into is parking. Will there be a nearby lot or deck they can park in, or will they have to park further away? If the parking area safe?

• Convenience to family – Does it make sense to the rest of the family that your student’s car be gone for semesters at a time? There could be younger siblings near or of driving age that may need the car.

• Jobs or internships – If your student has a part-time job or internship this fall, especially off-campus, then it is important they have a reliable means of transportation.

• Cost – Does your child have a way to pay for gas, parking permits, etc., or will you be covering that? Come up with a plan, such as you paying a certain percentage if your student maintains a certain GPA.

• Rules – Should you make the decision your student will take their car, establish some ground rules. Classmates will surely ask to borrow or drive the car at some point.

• Alternatives – Should you decide your student won’t take their car, there are several alternatives to having a car on campus to consider.

Everything you Need to Know About Vehicle Recalls

Vehicle recalls occur more frequently than most of us are aware of. This results when a manufacturer determines that a car model has a safety related defect that does not comply with the government’s safety standard. The manufacturer is then required to alert owners of this problem and may offer to repair the issue at no cost to you.

These alerts are usually delivered by mail or email, but they can often be overlooked. If you have a feeling that your car may be involved in a recall but haven’t received an alert, you can go online and check for yourself.

All you need is your VIN number which can be found in a few different places: the driver’s side lower corner of the windshield, vehicle registration, insurance card, or on a placard on the driver’s door jamb. Visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s recall page (www.nhtsa.gov/recalls) and enter you VIN. If your car has been issued a recall it will pop up on the page and if nothing populates then your car has not been recalled.

If your car has been issued a recall you should call your local dealer and schedule an appointment to fix the recalled issue. If you didn’t buy your car from that specific dealer, they will help you with the recall if it’s the same manufacturer.

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10 Tips for Traveling with Children

Traveling with children means balancing safety with sanity. You might want to crawl into the backseat to prove how serious you are about that “drop you on the side of the road if you do that one more time” threat. But then, you’re driving, so… maybe that’s not such a great idea.

Here are a few great ideas that will help you keep yourself calm and keep your car safely on the road.

1. Customize your emergency car kit with kid-friendly items.

This is a safety matter, of course; you should always have an emergency car kit in your car, especially on trips out of town. Purchase one pre-made or create your own emergency kit with supplies like jumper cables, a first aid kit, and some non-perishable food items and bottled water.

If you’re traveling with kids, add in a few extras to keep your kids happy and safe: diapers and wet wipes, an extra of a favorite stuffed animal or blanket, a change of clothes, important medications.

2. Keep a snack bag in the car.

There are two keys to a successful travel snack bag: first, choose your snacks carefully. Think car-friendly, non-messy items. As a general rule, avoid chocolate, crumbly items, and anything with filling. The second key is to dole the snacks out over time. Wait until boredom starts to set in. It’s not healthy to use food as a distraction most of the time, but when you’re all stuck in the car, it’s a tool in your sanity saver toolbox.

3. Keep a toy bag in the car.

Follow the same concept as the travel snack bag by stocking up on and doling out new toys as you hit points of boredom and fussiness. Shop the dollar store or any clearance sales, forget small stuff, nothing that requires assembly or batteries or help from Mom. Pass them out as needed, one at a time.

4. Make sure your car seats are installed properly.

Check cables, buckles, and car seat installation before you load up the kids and pull out of the driveway. This is a matter of both safety and sanity, as a toddler free to roam around the backseat is definitely a danger.

5. Plan stops along the way.

For trips over a couple of hours, take a little time to do some research online about state parks, landmarks, and towns you’ll be passing through. Plan to stop somewhere every couple of hours or so; it will do the kids good to get out and stretch their legs, and you’ll be refreshed and ready to drive again after a break.

6. Get the kids involved.

Even very small children can be on the look-out for big trucks or green cars. Give kids something to look for and let them earn a point for each item they find; reward them with a snack or a new toy when they earn 5 or 10 points.

For older kids, having a map and a guidebook handy helps them to get involved with what they’re seeing along the way.

7. Take kid-friendly music and books on cd for the ride.

When the games get old and everyone is getting a little tired, put in a cd of kid-friendly music; make it something they can enjoy singing along with, or opt for a book on cd instead. Everyone can get caught up in a good story and it makes the miles pass quickly. If you think it through ahead of time, your kids can pick out music and books on cd from the library and look forward to getting to hear their own choices.

8. Create a “travel kid kit” for each child.

A travel kid kit should have some special toys and activities, not necessarily new but something they enjoy. Kids can help put these together the day before you leave. Add in a few extras, such as a couple of books to look at, and include a sturdy surface (such as a lap desk) and some drawing supplies.

9. Be non-negotiable on car rules.

Seat belts stay buckled, no one plays with the door handles or locks, no yelling or screaming: set some rules in stone for your car trips and be non-negotiable. It’s not a matter of preference, it’s a matter of safety. Be very clear on the consequences and follow through if needed.

10. Get your car maintained & tuned up before you leave.

Don’t start off on an anticipated trip just to end up on the side of the road, or stranded in a little town halfway to your destination. Plan for travel success by taking your car in for an oil change, inspection, and tune-up a couple of weeks before you plan to leave. Be sure to have the mechanics check the tires, alignment, brakes, and battery so you won’t have any unpleasant surprises while you travel.

Traveling with kids is still a challenge, but it can be much better with a little preparation and a few tricks up your sleeve.