In the thick of it -- Again!

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

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

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

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

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

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. 

N

Mary Anderson-NB

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