SRN Outbasket

When a Picture is Worth More Than 10,000 Words…

2012-01-30T19:15:00.000-08:00

SRN Website Invites You to a Gallery of the Oddities of the LATCH World

The newest feature on our website is the LATCH Gallery. It‘s like a rogue’s gallery, featuring the unusual, if not to say “weird,” LATCH anchors we’ve found in vehicles.

Denise and Katrina, SRN’s crack LATCH vehicle team, started the gallery by collecting photos of anchors they’ve seen while visiting auto shows and checking vehicles. Simply by taking a stroll through the gallery you will find it easier to recognize the possible variations, making trouble-shooting in the field easier for CPSTs.

I’m sure our intrepid LATCH investigators haven’t seen every odd anchor out there. If you have found an unusual configuration hiding in a vehicle, please inform all of us by contributing photos to the gallery.

You’ll find a submission form on our LATCH Gallery page.

Deborah

An accident “waiting to happen”

2011-11-10T09:53:00.000-08:00

... did happen, just as I was writing an editorial on school bus safety improvements for the December issue of Safe Ride News. A fatal crash occurred in Texas that illustrates many of the benefits and conundrums of school bus standards and occupant restraints. The outcome was no "accident."

The facts (from KTXS News)

Scene: November 4, 2011, south of Abilene, Texas

Crash: single-vehicle end-over-end rollover; vehicle traveling65 mph in 70 mph zone

Vehicle: 24-passenger bus (not a school bus), 16 occupants

Restraints: seat belts were available for all, but only the driver was using a belt

Injuries: 1 death (Anabel Reid), 15 injuries including 4 critical; twelve occupants were ejected when fiberglass roof tore off

Lessons to learn:

• Use of school buses for student transport is required only for young people of high-school age or below. College and university students can be transported in any type of bus, no questions asked.
• School bus-body strength standards (FMVSS 220 and 221) would not allow a flimsy fiberglass roof that could tear off in a crash, as happened here.
• State law in Texas does not require occupants in buses to wear available seat belts.

The message that seat belts are “not needed” in large school buses has been well learned. It very likely influenced these students to ignore the available belts, despite the fact that they were riding in a very different type of bus. This type of bus does not have the built-in protections of a school bus body (even one without seat belts). How ironic it is that the belts that could have prevented many/most/all of the ejections/injuries/deaths were present but left unused.

So now do we have to teach college students and others the differences between ordinary buses and school buses, so they will know to buckle up if they are NOT in a school bus? Better, I say, to get ALL buses up to the body strength of school buses as well as seat belts on buses of all types.

Deborah Davis Stewart

P.S. For a photo of the roof torn off the bus, see KTXS News, ACU Bus Crash: Driver Was Only One Wearing Seat Belt - Abilene News Story - KTXS Abilene

Bravo, California!!!

2011-10-05T13:40:00.000-07:00

Cudos to the dedicated and persistent CPS Advocates and like-minded legislators who finally achieved an important change in the California CPS law.

After five years of effort, a bill was signed today (10/4/11) by Governor Jerry Brown raising the CR requirement from 6 and 60 pounds to 8 years.

It has an exemption for kids who are medically unfit (including over 4'9"). It includes a "correct belt fit" requirement for kids, so older kids may come under the requirement, depending on fit in their vehicle (5-step test).

California, which had been among the first states to pass a “booster law,” had seen two vetoes (by Gov. Schwartzenegger) of earlier attempts. The fight has been long but worthwhile, since we all know that a well publicized change like this can influence many caregivers’ behavior.

This reminds me that we all need to keep in mind that CPS education is only one part of a comprehensive effort to protect children’s lives:

Education

Legislation/Enforcement

Engineering/Standards

True CPS advocacy involves awareness of and support for all these aspects.

Fighting for years for improving legislation is one of the toughest struggles. Our California colleagues and Governor Brown deserve our thanks!

Deborah

The details of the revised law are at:

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/11-12/bill/sen/sb_0901-0950/sb_929_bill_209_bill_20111004_chaptered.pdf 

Crossed off the to-do list!—DS

2011-06-21T11:03:00.000-07:00

With weeks full of graduations, birthdays, a newsletter to get out, and trip planning, you would think we had a full enough plate. However, Denise and I were pleased to add to the list, the opportunity to send suggestions to the CPS Board for the major revision of the curriculum.

We worked overtime with Cheryl Kim of Safety Belt Safe USA to review the current curriculum and provide our feedback. Our focus centered on all the places where LATCH is discussed, including a suggested reorganization of Chapter 6, additional material on tethers for rear facing car seats to Chapter 9, new FAQs on LATCH for the Appendix.

Our editorial in the issue of SRN that’s at the printer right now (May/June) deals with the continuing concern about tether anchor weights that we have expressed to the board.

It will be a huge task and we greatly appreciate the work that we know lies ahead for all the board members!

Deborah

Lighter Than Air

2011-05-11T05:57:00.000-07:00

What a relief! I’ve just finished the updated version of the Hooked on LATCH presentation CD. This package of four PowerPoint shows for CPST refreshers and update classes was originally the brainchild of Mary Anderson and me, after we had finished the 2009 LATCH Manual. Translating key messages from the LM seemed like a great idea. But after the long struggle of giving birth to it, I promptly forgot the pain.

So, once the 2011 manual was finished, I nonchalantly said “no problem” to the idea of “just” updating our original work. I was excited to have a chance to make this tool even more useful and to incorporate all the changes in the LATCH world that fascinate me.

I thought of Mary every step of the way. Reviewing, reorganizing, and adding new slides for four interrelated presentations plus rewriting presenter notes was like going through the four stages of labor all over again. Now, four months later, it is finally ready to burn to disk and send out to all of you who have been waiting patiently.

So this afternoon I feel like I’m walking a few feet off the ground! I’m ready to forget the pain once again and move on—out to the garden on this lovely spring day.

Deborah

P.S. And I really will be up in the air tomorrow. Next stop, a CPS research conference in Detroit on Friday.

Phew–-more time to respond to NHTSA on compatibility

2011-03-22T10:22:00.000-07:00

This morning I heard from Sandy Sinclair at NHTSA that we will have an additional month to respond to the request for comments mentioned in my blog from last week (see below). So we will have until April 26th to get our thoughts in on the Vehicle-CRS Fit Program.

Deborah

In the thick of it -- Again!

2011-03-18T14:26:00.000-07:00

There's never a dull moment around here.

Although I'm out of the conference loop right now -- and sad to miss seeing a lot of friends at Lifesavers -- I'm working on a response to NHTSA's latest program plan. This project, the Vehicle-CRS Fit Program, is an attempt to improve compatibility for installation of CRs in vehicles. If you are interested in how the agency proposes to have vehicle manufacturers evaluate CRs to find ones that are compatible with their models, take a look at http://www.regulations.gov:

Docket NHTSA–2010–00062

Consumer Information Program for Child Restraint Systems

The response time allowed was only a month, so comments are due by March 28, right in the midst of the Lifesavers Conference. That means I'm scrambling to fully understand the document right now ... and I urge interested folks to take the time to comment.

The proposal is particularly interesting for the description of the findings of the pilot evaluation. The various problems that cropped up all sound very familiar, such as head restraints interfering with tether anchorage and lower anchors raised so high above the seat bight that LATCH straps cannot be tightened completely. The evaluation forms proposed are based on these observations and will rely also on the explicit instructions on installation in the vehicle and CR guides.

The general plan, which will be entirely voluntary for vehicle manufacturers, would have them list a minimum of three current CR models of each type (RF, FF, BPB) that will fit well in various vehicle models, starting with the 2012 model year. CRs within three price ranges must be listed and three CR manufacturers should be represented within each type of CR covered. However, I wonder whether new, small manufacturers will easily be able break into such a system, which could have effects on the diversity of the market.

I can see a lot of value in using the evaluation form in planning new designs for both CRs and vehicles. It could serve as an expanded update of the Society of Automotive Engineers "J1819" voluntary agreement for seat belt configurations that improved CR-seat belt compatibility in the 1990s.

For vehicle models during the next few years, however, I can imagine that the limitation to three or more CR models per type could limit listings too much. It would mean that, if only one CR will fit, the vehicle could not be listed and consumers would not have any guidance. In addition, if no CR is found that fits in a vehicle, it would not be listed—but the vehicle manufacturer would not have to try all the possibilities and there would be no way of knowing whether it had or not.

I also personally disagree with the assumption that the default tether anchor weight limit should be set at 40 pounds for vehicles whose manuals that do not list a weight. In such cases, the compatibility of the tether and tether anchor for high-weight harness CRs would not be incorporated into the evaluation.

There will be much more in our response to the agency. For now, please consider taking a look at the plan yourself and letting the agency know what YOU think.

Deborah Davis Stewart

Is there a gray? Let's talk—NB

2011-02-16T10:50:00.000-08:00

Well if you live in Seattle that’s a no brainer questions.

And as an artist I can tell you not only is there gray, there is a warm gray, a cool gray (which has nothing to do with popularity or the weather), a deep gray, light gray, blue gray, and on and on. I can tell you how to mix it and when a cool gray should be used verses a warm gray. What I can’t tell you is there is no such thing as no gray, in life and in painting.

Some people don’t believe that, they are sure there is just a black and a white. My Mom, who is 91 and knows a thing or two, once said for every rule there is an exception, or else it’s not a rule it’s an absolute.

Which was a little heavy for a nine year old to digest, but is true if you think about it. Is the sky blue? Well as a rule, in Arizona, yes. Except when it’s hot pink, or inky black or hmmmm, gray. Is the grass always green, no, (except in the other guys yard, then it’s green-er)

Even absolutes are not always set. Think about that flat earth thing that was an absolute a few of centuries ago. And less than few centuries ago, I had a science teacher tell our class there was not way man would ever reach the moon. Where would we be today if everyone just accepted these absolutes? How far would we have progressed?

Life is made of black and white and when they blend, you get a gray. And that gets people talking, and talking results in dialogue. Which is a good thing because dialogue is an exchange of ideas. (no shoe pounding on a podium please). An exchange of ideas can produce an increase of knowledge, and a change of ideas and thinking, which in turn can result in change of rules and absolutes.

So while I respect the absolutes, the black and whites, I also know that creating a dialogue about them is healthy and good. It always has been as it keeps the community growing towards a better, safer, healthier unit of people who in return, work together with the common goal of improving the community as a whole.

What's Blue and Taller Than Sally—NB

2010-12-20T16:53:00.000-08:00

Steve and Sally

Seattle is raining and cold today, the street is full of puddles and the wind nips at your face. And in all this drizzle and grey, a big old white truck rumbled down our street, filled with big white boxes (and boxes). And tucked inside each box were the new 2011 LATCH manuals, the color of a Seattle sky on a warm summer day. A feeling good, happy day, lay-in-the-grass-with-nothing to do blue sky day. You know what I mean? That blue.

At 9 AM today, Consolidated Press came with a special delivery of manuals! Consolidated Press is major cool, guys.

The majority of the run is still at the bindery, but, just for us, they pulled 669 off the floor so we could have some before Christmas. (I told you they were cool!).

Their usual truck was in the shop, so they used an old one, without a lift. The driver (Don), Sally, Steve and I hand unloaded the boxes. Each box weights 25 lbs. We all got a bit of a work out.

Ok so Sally is only 4 ft 11. But still that's a lot of boxes.

Seattle Marathon

2010-11-30T20:24:00.000-08:00

Greetings from the sweat shop of Safe Ride News! (Photo of our work table)

I just left the office feeling like I'd run a Marathon. I call our bi-annual race to finish the LATCH Manual my "Seattle Marathon" (the real one was run just last weekend). We found the race course had an unexpected, steep up-hill grade in the last mile -- a tether-related recall from GM and a proposed rulemaking notice from NHTSA that just might someday have an impact on LATCH anchor weights, both announced just a week ago. We managed to make it to the finish line with a last-minute surge of extra energy fueled by lattes from the nearest independent coffee shop.

I know Nancy, Denise, and the rest of our team, Linda, Nancy L, Katrina, as well as Steven, Sally, and Molly (our mas-cat) are equally tired and happy that the manual is now headed for the printer, right on time. I hand-carry it down there first thing in the morning, December 1.

The exhilaration hasn't quite hit me yet—probably tomorrow. Tonight, I'm just content to curl up with a book (fiction) and some herb tea. I doubt I'll stay up very late.

Hoping you all had a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving and that you will enjoy the coming holiday season.

Stay tuned -- you blog readers will be the very first to learn the new color, when the first shipment of books reaches us in a few weeks.

Deborah

P.S. The photo contains a hint about the color!

Visions of Sugar Plums — Deborah Stewart

2010-11-08T10:34:00.000-08:00

No, the manual isn’t candy-striped—keep guessing! Ever since spring, all of us at Safe Ride News… have been thinking ‘way ahead to December. (I feel almost like a toy manufacturer's gnome, always working at least two seasons ahead.) Our team—now 5 people—began gearing up for the 2011 LATCH Manual back in April.

The writing of three detailed questionnaires—for vehicles, CRs, school bus seating and CSRS—led up to the summer research period. I’m always delighted that our manufacturer contacts are all so willing to fill these out in detail, despite the challenges they have getting their own new products ready for September roll-outs. This shows their dedication to keeping kids safe.

Editing the chapters, several of which had major makeovers this time around, is always an adventure, particularly as new product information reveals itself during the research phase. I’m constantly learning, especially as I rethink our presentation of advances in the field. And now that we can analyze all the responses, there are some interesting trends!!!

So, while we taste the sugar plums yet, we are doing more than just dreaming of getting the best LATCH Manual ever to press on time. We are on track to hand it over to the printer December first so we will be able to dream of something other than LATCH connectors and weight limits—maybe a ride on the Polar Express.

Pick a number between 1 and 7547-NB

2010-10-27T14:24:00.000-07:00

Really, who could choose just one? I am woman who wears mostly black, because it's easier / faster to get dressed in the morning with less choices.

I am an artist, I LOVE colors (and paint,but that's a different blog). I love how they interact with each other, enhance and speak to you. I love the psychology of color (tired? cranky? find some pink, cold? sit in a sunshine yellow room, studying? green walls are best)

So you can see the problem, what color to choose from a fan of a zillion, bright, beautiful choices? Orange? Yellow, Red, Green, Blue? Black? It’s one of the most fun tasks and the one of the hardest for me.

We have come to the point where we need to pick a color for the new 2011 LATCH manual (due back from the printer in January!). How exciting is that!?

We started the manual April 2010, and it is indeed a team project. There are hours and hours of research, and more research. Long days, small delays. One answer to a question will invariably lead to another question and then another. You would be amazed at how many people work together to bring the child passenger safety community the best / latest/ most up-to-date material available. Right now we are knee deep in writing, gathering final information, illustrations and pulling it all together. We have a printer date / deadline to meet, and it looks like it’s going to be the usual late night and weekend duty to pull it together in time.

There is a lot of discovery, a lot of stress, a lot of love and pride-for-what-we-do, that goes into publishing a new LATCH manual edition. And there is even some fun.

Even after 26 years of graphic design, I still get a thrill picking out a cover color. One of the perks of this project for sure.

A few weeks ago we three (Deborah, Denise and me) met at Deborah’s and a cover color was chosen. No dark back room, no secret knock, just a lovely lunch, a Pantone book (printers ink swatches), and a bit of socializing. It didn't take us long to all agree.

So what color is the manual this year?

My lips are sealed. (for now anyway). But here's a hint—it's one of the swatches between 1 and 7547.

Mary Anderson-NB

2010-07-20T09:32:00.000-07:00

An important member of the SRN family has lost her battle with cancer. And we have lost a friend and colleague.

We are a fairly small company, a handful people and a curious cat. We become friends, good friends. We share photos of family, and laugh at each others bad jokes. We swap recipes, favorite web sites and holiday stories. We worry about the weather 2,000 miles away from home and sing happy birthday (off tune) over the phone to each other. We fix hurt feelings, have home remedies for sunburns, wind burns, long work days. We laugh a lot.

And we shared this journey with Mary and her family. She was well and full of plans in September. Knee surgery was coming up after the first of the year, so in typical Mary Anderson fashion, she was getting all her ducks in a row. Lists made, things sorted, items checked off. The woman was wonder woman of organization. Not a dull pencil in her box, not a detail overlooked.

In January, when the blood work for knee surgery was done, it was a shock to everyone when it came back and the C word was connected to it. How could that be? Everything was fine 4 months prior?

Mary took this on, like everything else in her life, head on full force ahead. She made lists, she baked meals and froze meals for her family, she wrote, she organized, and she geared up. And she fought—a good fight, and a courageous battle. She posted her progress, we became familiar with her treatment, we looked each day to see how she was doing, we all prayed, lit candles, sent cards and wrote notes. And sometimes we held our breath.

Mary Anderson did not win her battle, but neither did she lose. On June 22 she entered Hospice care. She said her good byes on her terms. And on June 28 she died, holding the hand of her husband, her best friend and soul mate, Andy.

My heart aches for the loss of such a dear person. And I miss the quick (and not so quick) chats, the laughing, the plans for a Seattle retreat.

What I have not lost and will hold on to forever is the lesson in love, compassion and respect one person can generate. Like a stone tossed into a pond, it continues to ripple out. I hope to pass this lesson on, to the person at the other end of the ringing phone, to my colleagues, to my family, and to you.

Nan

Doggie LATCH

2010-06-08T09:57:00.000-07:00

The Latest Use for LATCH

Our ever-diligent researcher Katrina just discovered yet another creative use for LATCH – for a doggie harness attachment. The leash is a “tether” strap that attaches with a SafeGuard push-on connector to a lower LATCH bar or (with a webbing loop) to a buckled seat belt. Never mind that the weight limit for the dog might be over 40 pounds (it is shown on a large Lab), that the dog is attached only by one bar, that the strap is loose so the dog can move around (meaning the dog would be thrown forward before being brought up short by the strap), and the harness is up around the dog’s chest (gasp) as well as over the shoulders. Here’s a link.

Well, at least it might keep the dog from being thrown into the front seat occupants. And now there might be a need for LATCH anchors in the backs of pickups (oops, then kids might be buckled up back there, too!). Unintended consequences...

You can’t say we don’t keep up with technology!

Deborah

Hello Ben-NB

2010-04-27T13:25:00.000-07:00

This month Denise and I went to Philadelphia for the LifeSavers Convention. (Deborah, poor dear HAD to go to Italy-I turn a weird color of green, not unlike Kermit,when I think about this).

Philadelphia is a beautiful city, lots of old lovely buildings, lots of very friendly people.

Denise had a class early Friday morning, I had the morning off. There was a Starbucks IN THE LOBBY of our hotel. Lucked out there! Although no doubt there would have been one on the next corner(s). I grabbed my water colors and sketch book and set off a bit after 7 am.

It was a great day for walking, which is a good thing, as I got turned around and was going in the wrong direction (more than once). Not just blocks, but miles in the wrong direction. It's a good thing I had most of the day and it was a good way to see the city.

Philadelphia is very flat,and walking was easy. No hills like Seattle! I walked from our hotel to the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall (skipped the tour), got completely turned around and ended up asking someone for directions ("better get a cab honey, you are miles from where you want to go"). He also told me as long as I was THAT lost, I should go two more blocks out of my way and visit Ben Franklins grave. I love the beauty of cemetery's so headed over. Did you know people throw pennies on Ben Franklins grave, which is a flat raised slap of marble? Kinda cool-creamy white marble with bright copper colored pennies scattered all over it.

At the end of the day I had put in 8.6 (something) miles, from one end of the city to the other, and over 30,000 steps. I told Denise if 10,000 steps a day is considered really good, I didn't have to walk for 3 days. Couldn't find anyone willing to carry me around though, so that ended that idea.

This year at Lifesavers the exhibit hall and the conference sessions were open at the same time. Sometimes they do that, sometimes not. If I wanted to go to a session, then we had to put all our stuff under the skirt on the table. I hate to tell you this, but my notebook of the current Fact Sheets (handouts), the LATCH manual and the School Bus Safety Handbook seem to grow legs when left unattended. Who knew?

I didn't worry about missing most of the CPS sessions because Denise (ace reporter / editor and traveling buddy) will be reporting in some of the up coming newsletters. So you all can sort of pretend you were there too, minus the rain and traffic (see what lengths we go to keep you all informed!). I did get to a session on transporting children in ambulances. Got hit with a very sobering dose of reality when we viewed a isolate exploding into a zillion pieces in a crash test video. We know the stats, we read the stories, but nothing quite hits home like a graphic video.

We flew home on the 13th. I got pulled out of line by a TSA person, that is something of an experience. Didn't make the evening news, did make the flight, so all was well. (note: do not have tea called Gun Power in your carry on). Going home seemed longer than going to. And actually it is, takes an extra 30-40 minutes usually-although it seemed like DAYS after the first hour. I felt sorry for the poor guy in the middle seat, he was tall and built like a linebacker, and crammed in. I didn't feel sorry enough for him to change places and give him my aisle seat, but I did feel a twinge.

The next day was a work day. The Work Fairy forgot to come by when I was gone, so I had lots of e mails and my desk looked like someone (Molly the cat?) had had a parade and didn't clean up any of the papers afterwards, or the sparkly stuff (-what is that? maybe the Fairy was there— if she was she was sleeping on my desk, not working at it).

The first day back I hit the wall around 3 PM and had to fight the urge to take a nap. Molly gave in to it though. Smart cat.

If you ever get to Philadelphia, be sure and stop by Ben's place and tell him I said hello (and don't forget to bring pennies)

Really, we are not slow-NB

2010-02-10T15:00:00.000-08:00

It just looks that way. Wow the last post was months ago. We did not run off to some warm place with soft breezes and sandy beaches. Tempting as that sounds. Trust me on this, we are not slow just really, really busy (really).

The 2010 Fact Sheets are finished and ready to go, Deborah is back from India, the 2010 catalog is at the printers (and posted on the web site-www.saferidenews.com), we have added Spanish topics to our pre-printed Fact Sheet pads, per your requests. The instructors Hooked On LATCH power point presentation is done AND I got my sock drawer straightened out (not on work time of course).

I'm sure you all were wondering about that. I know my Mom was. 2010 is going to be a great year. I hope you will all come along for the ride with us. We are ready to roll (belted in of course). —N

KIM school bus-CPS training coming together

2009-11-10T08:52:00.000-08:00

Phew!
I'm getting ready to leave for India for almost a month, and now one of the plans I'd been hoping would come to reality is about to be announced.
I wanted to hold a session of the NHTSA school bus-CPS course before the KIM conference in Fort Worth. The location is ideal, as two of the most seasoned trainers for this course are in Texas. Now it looks like it will really happen.
It will be an 8-hour, train-the-trainer presentation—only for CPSTs and CPSTIs—on August 25.
I hope to see some of you there.
DDS

LATCH talk among the cabbages

2009-11-09T17:50:00.000-08:00

Today, while in the grocery store, I took a call from my contact with the LATCH Working Group, who shared with me that the auto manufacturers are holding several meetings to discuss the Sunshine Kids SuperLATCH. Even the next “Safety Policy Meeting” of the higher-ups with the Alliance of Automotive Manufacturers has it on their agenda. So the good news is that they are definitely paying attention to this innovation and hope to have some definitive response fairly soon. SRN will report all.

And, no, I didn’t let on that I was in the vegetable department! I simply took notes on the back of my list.
DDS

Roughing it-NB

2009-10-22T11:32:00.000-07:00

Well not really. Unless you call sleeping in a real bed (not the kind you roll up and "hike in" with) in a room, in a house on the beach roughing it. We had a company retreat, sort of a state of the union on a much smaller scale than they do it in the big white house on the East coast.

Two days of some very focused, very detailed meetings. With a break for walking on the beach, collecting magic rocks, and sand crafted old glass (aka mermaids beads). We got a lot done, but I needed to sit with my back to the windows, because crashing waves and elegant blue Herons are just too too distracting.

Safe Ride News is cooking along, working hard, and we are very excited at the new products we have and are going to have out this year. (stay tuned, or visit the web site: www.saferidenews.com).

The Handbook for buses has been well received, the feed back is always great to hear. After all the work and research that went into it, it is always nice to know our work is appreciated.

I took a very early morning walk Saturday, while everyone else slept. Fog lay heavy on the beach, making the beach seem mystical, magical (which of course it is). Seals splashed less than 20 feet way, lovely rocks lay waiting to be put in my pocket, and a Heron was dining early before the rush.

Selling like hot cakes on a cold day-NB

2009-10-08T07:23:00.000-07:00

The response for the new School Bus Safety Handbook has been amazing. The handbook was back from the printer on Aug 14. And in less than 3 weeks, we have sold over 200 books. Everyone but Molly is working at max capacity. I do not consider sleeping on the papers on my desk and walking across my keyboard working.

The feedback has been totally positive (thank you!). We all agreed, that even with an entire chapter devoted to school buses, in the 2009 LATCH manual (CH 7), more in-depth information was needed.

Like the LATCH manual, this publication does not take the place of training, but it enhances classroom information, and of course is a essential reference tool. (should be one on every school bus)

Purchase does not include syrup, butter or cute checkered tablecloth.

The LATCH Update People Have Been Asking for

2009-10-07T15:01:00.000-07:00

I've been too busy to blog! Mary Anderson (a CPST-I from Ohio) and I have been burning up the wireless lines with messages flying between Portland and Ohio for weeks, as we put the finishing touches on a new LATCH Update CD that will offer pre-authorized CEUs. We are very excited about this new CD, which has two separate PowerPoint presentations on LATCH for use at state and other CPST update sessions.

The first presentation, Hooked on LATCH, is a general presentation that expands on the LATCH material in the certification curriculum and includes how to use the LATCH Manual to its fullest. The second, LATCH and Beyond, focuses specifically on new information and products related to LATCH that have come along in the last year or two. Each has complete presenter notes and can be given by CPST Instructors or seasoned CPSTs. They include the very latest changes in CR technology.

All will be ready very soon. Stay tuned ...

—Deborah

I May Become a Techie Yet! - DJD

2009-09-21T14:00:00.000-07:00

I'm not what anyone would call a techie person, but I have seen the value of the CPSListserv, and it wasn't much of a stretch to imagine this type of thing working well for folks involved with pupil transportation. I figured a listserv would be a great resource to set up simultaneously with the release of our new publication, The School Bus Safety Handbook.

So, with some helpful tips from Merritt N., our moderator for the CPS version, I put my technophobia aside and dove in to set up the new CPS for School Buses listserv. This being me, of course there were a few technical hurdles, but I would say that it went pretty smoothly compared to other computer challenges I've faced. I wrote the first post, and sat back and waited for subscribers.

The next morning, I was delighted to see my computer churning away as it worked to fill over 70 e-mails into my inbox. AHA -- surely these were 70 members applying to the group, I figured. So I was pretty crestfallen when I found that, rather than new member notifications, every one of the mails was an out-of-office reply! A friend (I won't name names, but hers rhymes with "Fancy Showfont") had tried to set up auto-reply while on vacation, and somehow the system responded retroactively to every mail I had sent to her over the past several months -- totaling more than 70.

Needless to say, this was even more of a disappointment for poor Fancy than it was for me. Shortly afterward, the applications for membership to our new group did indeed start to roll in. We didn't get 70 members on day one, but only 5 days later we do now have over 70 on our list, and its growing steadily! If you are interested in school bus CPS issues, please join us!

Sign up at: CPSforSchoolBuses-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Hear the rumble of a truck?-NB

2009-09-14T07:59:00.000-07:00

Well we are all a twitter this AM, and I'm not talking rock star phone tweets (pleeeeeeze).

Our printer is delivering the first shipment of the new bus Handbooks today. We can start filling the back orders. A huge thanks to all of you who have been so patient about waiting. Your handbook(s) should go out in the mail this week.

Karen in NE placed the first order, which called for something special. I'd send chocolate, but she would probably only get part of the box. So I'm sending a $10 coffee card instead.

So blow the horns (school bus type), ring the bells and pop the corks. Probably over doing it to smash a bottle of Champagne over the the pallet.

KIM conference was good-DDS

2009-09-05T16:08:00.000-07:00

Hi there,
My head is still spinning from a fascinating Kidz in Motion conference in Fort Worth. I heard that the preemie pre-conference was excellent. I couldn't get there because I was finishing the School Bus Safety Handbook, but I know the speakers were top-notch and the information was balanced right on the cutting edge.

Sessions on recycling CRs to keep them out of landfills, how to set up a "fee-for-service" CR education service for parents who are willing to pay for one-on-one attention, and news of several revolutionary products were a few of the highlights.

The next issue of Safe Ride News will include details on the preemie session and a number of other workshops, as well as the latest product updates from the ABC juvenile products show coming up in Las Vegas next week.

Fort Worth was lots of fun, the food was good, and the hotel was very comfortable. The conference will be there again next summer -- maybe I'll see you there.

Now I'm headed to Colorado for a vacation—something really different from hours at the keyboard, helping to harvest my brother's crop of organic peaches.

New Handbook is almost here-NB

2009-09-03T10:34:00.000-07:00

Whew, picking a color for the Handbook cover was as hard as trying to decide which shoes to wear to the Prince's Ball or which dwarf to dance with first. Just call me Snow-derella.

And the final proof is done. So The School Bus Safety Handbook is on it's way to being done. We are all excited with this new, much needed publication. Although Molly (dear office cat) doesn't seem very excited. Not that we could tell.

The table of contents is up on the SRN web site (www.saferidenews.com). The whole job of putting this together only took 3 grown trees, a zillon hours and several gallons of coffee. But who needs to sleep? Can't anyway because the cover is so bright it keeps us awake.