Car Tips Category

The latest recall from the Japanese automaker warns the owners of seven Lexus and Toyota models to immediately remove the driver side floor mat
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The latest survey from State Farm Insurance shows collisions between deer and vehicles are up 18 percent in five years
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The inaugural Motorist Choice Awards have been given out by AutoPacific and IntelliChoice
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There may not be a right way or wrong way to cool down your car this summer but this is one way to do it quickly and efficiently.
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The latest results from online company Insure rank the ten most expensive and ten least expensive 2009 vehicles to insure.
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A recent university study showing how music tempo affects the frequency of traffic violations prompted one UK lender to launch its own music chart that rearranges the weeks top ten songs in order of tempo to promote driver safety.
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Mid-season thaws can cause potholes to form in the road and lead to dangerous driving situations.
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With the first snowfall and more on the way drivers in the northern climes need to get re-acclimated to winter driving and cold weather survival.
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Beginning with the 2010 Focus Coupe, Ford Motor Company will add features to its SecuriLock anti theft technology aimed at encouraging teenagers to drive more safely.
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In the latest report on child safety and the first report of its kind, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, in conjunction with the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, released its findings based on the performance of 41 booster seats.

Will your child be safe in the event of an accident?

Here at LotPro.com, we enjoy discussing everything there is to know about cars. But what we often overlook in all the excitement is that the primary function of any automobile is to transport its occupants safely from point A to point B. Many of those features that keep us safe cruising down the highway we take for granted. One of those features would certainly be the child safety seat.

We all know (or hope) that the car we drive on a daily basis is basically safe. It also follows that, logically, anything offered as an aftermarket accessory – especially a seat designed to protect a child in the event of an accident – should also be inherently safe and perform to minimum safety standards. But according to the latest study by the IIHS, that isn’t necessarily true. In fact, of the 41 seats tested by the institute, 13 were rated so poorly that the institute is not recommending them.

Two Versions Tested

As part of the study, the institute tested two different types of booster seats – highback models with a built-in backrest, and backless models that rely on the vehicle seat for a child’s back support. There are also variations, as some highbacks convert to backless and some boosters, known as combination seats, can be used as child restraints.

Testing, by the way, was done with a range of 2001-2006 vehicles. It’s also interesting to note that parents needn’t spend top dollar to get one of the better-performing seats. The Graco Turbo-Booster (sounds like an option for the 350Z) retails for $50, while the backless version of the same seat (also recommended) retails for $20.

Here are the IIHS results:

Cosco Highback Booster (Not Recommended)

Not Recommended

•    Safety Angel Ride Ryte backless
•    Cosco/Dorel (Eddie Bauer) Summit
•    Graco CarGo Zephyr
•    Evenflo Big Kid Confidence
•    Cosco/Dorel Traveler
•    Compass B505
•    Compass B510
•    Evenflo Generations
•    Dorel/Safety 1st (Eddie Bauer) Prospect
•    Cosco Highback Booster
•    Cosco/Dorel Alpha Omega
•    Evenflo Chase Comfort Touch
•    Safety 1st/Dorel Intera

Graco TurboBooster (Best Bet)

Best Bets

•    Graco TurboBooster backless with clip
•    Fisher-Price Safe Voyage backless with clip
•    Combi Kobuk backless with clip
•    Fisher-Price Safe Voyage
•    Britax Parkway
•    LaRoche Bros. Teddy Bear
•    Safeguard Go backless with clip
•    Volvo booster cushion
•    Recaro Young Style
•    Britax Monarch

Safety Angel Ride Ryte (Good Bet)

Good Bets

•    Graco TurboBooster
•    Safety Angel Ride Ryte
•    Recaro Young Sport
•    Combi Kobuk
•    Safety 1st/Dorel Apex 65

Note: Unless the booster name indicates that it is a backless seat, all boosters are highbacks.