Feats In Car Seats
By Mike Speidel

My mother-in-law, Elizabeth, recently told me the story of leaving the hospital with her first-born, Jennifer (my wife), simply cradling her baby in her arms. No seat belts, no car seats, and no one knew any better. Contrast that with my experience with our first child: I had to deliver a thousand-word written report (12pt, double-spaced) on the modern child's car seat and physically demonstrate I knew how to buckle up my infant using a five-point harness. I'm half-joking but they literally wouldn't let us take our baby home without that competency demonstration.

With a disturbing enthusiasm, Elizabeth continued to share about when Jennifer was able to sit up, she graduated to a laundry basket on the floor of the passenger seat. It sounds insane because it was, but it was accepted as the norm. I'm not sure what I was towed around in as a baby, but based on my family's history, I'm going to guess this second child spent some time riding in a mostly-empty solvent-based paint bucket... which explains a few things.

Forty years ago, there wasn't much education or even data about automobile safety. Not to mention, there were few products available to keep your child secured. It was an afterthought, and you just had to do your best to "be careful" while driving.

Since, a little more data has trickled in. As a society, we now know that our children must be secured in something just shy of a straitjacket, although there are times I have considered the latter. Industry has responded with super seats. Given the cost, I imagine the four we own are nothing short of titanium alloy wrapped in carbon fiber with a cup holder. They literally have an "FAA-Approved" sticker on the back, and I'm guessing I will be able to safely use them for our family's first commercial space excursion; we're saving up.

Aside from the amazing technology that discretely contains nearly a pound of finely crushed goldfish in my car, the "do's" and "don'ts" for car seats make me dizzy:

• Leave car seats rear-facing until your kids are at least two years. (So much for my boys being tall.)
• Forward-facing seats should use a tether. (N/A - they already have all their teeth.)
• Never leave a winter jacket on while using car seat. (Noted: Nothing about straitjackets.)
• Passengers should be at least 4'9" to use regular seats. (My wife may not be compliant.)

In 2018, it's incredible how much parents are responsible for knowing, but who can't get on board with maximizing safety as best we can? It's only a matter of time before parents are required to take a course and pass the assessment to purchase a car seat.

Rear-facing into the past, it's the evolution that has been incredible. From a laundry basket to a seat good enough for NASCAR, the mission to continually improve via education and technology has made that industry dramatically safer over time.

The aviation industry shares that mission. Our expertise in airfield marking allows us a unique perspective on how well the industry is doing by how the markings are performing. I can tell you we're not sitting in a laundry basket, but there's a lot of room for improvement. The technology available to us is pretty good, but as an industry we lack a strong understanding of how to properly install/maintain airport markings. There is no requirement to be trained or qualified to paint the markings at our nation's airports.

If you've never been trained, or never trained your team, I suggest attending an Airfield Marking Symposium or bringing us to you to deliver Airfield Marking Training. I will admit, it is easier to continue doing things "the way it has always been done", but it won't improve safety. We must be forward-facing, constantly looking to challenge convention, and advance airfield safety in all disciplines.

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