It was a typical commute home on a two-lane rural road. Traffic was heavier than you may think on a rural road – the area developed in recent years, with many homes added. Road projects have lagged. Suddenly, traffic in front of me stopped abruptly, and I soon realized that there had been a three-car collision just seconds prior involving vehicles traveling in the opposite direction.

As one of the first on the scene and have had first aid and CPR training, I stopped and did my best to assist. I focused on a passenger vehicle with a driver and precious cargo – a child in a safety seat. Fortunately, there were no severe injuries, even though the airbags had deployed. The driver was in a state of shock. She was confused, panicked, and concerned about only one thing – the child in the back seat. I looked at the child – that is the moment I remember the most about this ordeal – she was fine! Like nothing happened. I think she was even smiling. I told the driver that the child was okay and not injured. The driver must have been relieved; she sat down on the road and fainted.

As a father of four, I can relate to the driver. All you can think about is your child in a situation like that. Fortunately, the child was in a safety seat properly secured and used.

Every year there are tens of thousands of accidents involving children in motor vehicles. Child safety seats are shown to reduce fatal injury by 71 percent for infants (under one year old) and by 54 percent for toddlers (1 to 4 years old) in passenger cars. ¹ In other words, child safety seats are very effective.

Each component of a child’s safety seat plays a critical role in keeping the child safe.

Foam made from Epsilyte’s materials are one component commonly used in car seats. Its properties allow it to absorb energy that would otherwise impact the child. This advanced material converts, channels, and dissipates crash energy to prevent the energy from reaching the brain or body. ² This helps to avoid injury should a crash occur. The unique properties of this foam and its ability to absorb crash energy is one way that it helps sustain life.

As a leader in EPS manufacturing, Epsilyte is proud to help prevent injuries to children involved in accidents and grateful for our role in protecting precious cargo.

#LyteLife

Sources:

1. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Traffic safety facts, 2019 data: children. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; 2021. Publication no. DOT-HS-813-122. Available at 2019 Data: Children (dot.gov)
2. http://epsindustry.org/other-applications/safety-devices