SAFE RIDE KIDS4Press Kit

Contact : Amie Durocher | Media Relationsamie@SafeRide4Kids.com | 844-421-SAFE (7233) option 3

Safe Ride4Kids.com | Tummy Shield.com | RideSaferTravelVest.com

Safe Ride 4 Kids: The C

ompany

We are a team of Child Passenger Safety Technicians. We’re all parents and care about helping other parents keep their children safe in easy and convenient ways.

Greg Durocher | CEO

Greg Durocher started in the fi re service as a volunteer when he was 18 years old. In 1998 he was hired as a career fi refi ghter & paramedic. He quickly felt a desire to learn as much as he could about Child Passenger Safety because it was clear to him that he would much rather teach a parent how to properly restrain their child in the car instead of respond on a call where that innocent child was injured or killed in a crash. You see, Greg realized that children are the innocent victims in car crashes which are the #1 killer and cause of injury to children in this country. With that in mind Greg has served as a Child Passenger Safety Technician and Instructor for more than 10 years.

During his more than 15 years as a fi refi ghter/paramedic, Greg saw many devastating car crashes. Greg invested the vast majority of his career as a Child Passenger Safety Technician Instructor making sure that the technicians they trained were prepared to answer the most challenging questions about kids and car seats.

“As responsible drivers we can only do our very best to ensure that our precious cargo is properly restrained with the best options available,” says Greg, “so that if a crash occurs, we are giving our little loved ones the very best chance at the best possible outcome.” That is why, when Greg was given the opportunity to share the RideSafer® Travel Vests with others he gathered a team of like minded people who happened to be his lovely wife, Amie, and great friends, Jeff and Stephanie, to help him share this amazing product and more with others.

Amie Durocher | Creative Director & Media Relations

After leaving a full-time job as a magazine designer to focus on building their family, Amie became interested in helping Greg in his mission to protect children in vehicles. She became a certifi ed technician in 2004 and ended up working part-time at a hospital through two pregnancies and two infants helping other new parents learn how to properly install and use their child passenger safety seats. As her children

grew, Amie refocused on design, photography and writing as work she could do from home while maintaining her foremost focus on her family and amazing, now 3, children. She stayed involved in the CPS community as a volunteer and designing materials and photographing correct (and sometimes incorrect) usage for different CPS organizations.

Jeff Lobeck | Vice President of Sales

Jeff says, “I have come to realize at this point in my life that I love to serve!” He has been in sales for most of his career and loves to be around people. Jeff is most alive when he is volunteering his time in service to people and making a positive difference in people’s lives. Being a part of SafeRide4Kids is exactly where he wants to be right now, as he wants to serve parents and be able to give them peace of mind, help their lives be a little easier and have the confi dence to know as they drive down the road their cherished loved ones are safe in the back seat.

Stephanie Lobeck | Chief Financial Offi cer

She has been in the software consulting industry for over 15 years, and is currently a Director in a small consulting company. Her background in Accounting (she has a CPA license, although does not use it) always seems to land her in the driver’s seat for handling the fi nances in various ventures she is involved in, including currently serving as the Treasurer on the Board of Trustees at their church.

As a mother of two older boys who are beyond car seat years, she is so excited to be part of Safe Ride 4 Kids where we are solving a problem that she and her family dealt with for many years. When their oldest son was younger, both Stephanie and Jeff were traveling with their jobs, and there were many days when it was a last minute phone call to one of the grandmothers or other relatives to pick Alex up from day care. Unfortunately, many of those last minute phone calls meant Alex wasn’t in a booster seat… wasn’t safe. In hindsight, they are so grateful for making it through that time without any incidents and shudder at the thought of the potential dangers they exposed him to. What they wouldn’t have given for an alternative that would have allowed Alex to be safe every time he got in a car without having to have a booster seat for every person that might pick him up — or having to constantly move a seat from car to car.

SAFE RIDE KIDS4The Team

How do we do that?

We offer car seat safety education and innovative product solutions to the challenges of keeping their children safe while traveling in the car — from conception on — without sacrifi cing their own convenience and, in the case of the Tummy Shield, comfort.

In addition to car seat education, we also are educating the pregnant population, OBs, midwives and doulas about the dangers of driving while pregnant and how experts studying the subject say seat belts just aren’t designed for pregnant women. It’s a no often discussed subject during pregnancy and one that is affecting the parents of the estimated 3,000 pregnancies lost every year. Even when wearing the seat belt low as recommended, the seat belt will intrude into the pregnancy to engage the hip bones as it is designed to do.

What are the product solutions?

We currently have solutions for two ages: conception to birth and 3 to seat-belt ready.

From conception to birth we protect mom and developing baby with the crash tested Tummy Shield which redirects the lap portion of the seat belt to the upper thigh/lower pelvis. This effectively minimizes the risk that the seat belt will

intrude into your pregnant tummy during a crash or sudden braking incident and it makes driving/riding in a vehicle much more comfortable for the pregnant mother.

Our solution for kids 3 and older is a convenient and legal alternative to the booster seat and the car seat. It’s great for parents who travel, need to fi t 3 across, carpool, have children with special needs and several other situations. The Ride Safer Travel vest properly positions the vehicle’s seat belt on the child, lowers their center of gravity and, in the event of a crash, spreads the crash force across the vest instead of just the width of the seat belt like in a booster.

What’s coming?

In addition to spreading education far and wide about what pregnant women can do to keep themselves and their babies as safe as possible while driving —including using the Tummy Shield, we are rounding out our product suite to include innovative products for all the stages of car seats. The fi rst stage we are focusing on is the rear-facing gap between the pregnancy stage and forward-facing stage we currently have products for.

Our Mission

We help parents keep their children safe during the most dangerous activity that they

are exposed to day in and day out.

Safe Ride 4 Kids: In the M

ediaThe Reality of Real Estate with Jennifer Hammond Radio Show on Sirius/XM 128 – 12/6/14 – Why would Greg Durocher of Safe Ride 4 Kids be on a real estate show? Because realtors drive around with families to show houses. They need to have easy-to-use, safe car seats and know how to keep their clients’ families safe.

Listen to That Was Zen, This is Tao Radio Show on WIOX 91.3 – 12/4/14 – Greg Durocher of Safe Ride 4 Kids talks to host Lewis Harrison about the need for car safety for pregnant women and using the Tummy Shield and traveling with kids for the holidays using the RideSafer. Listen to the recording here.

SafeSoundFamily.com – 10/21/14 – Car Seat Safety: 22 Safety Experts Share Their Top Tips to Keep Your Child or Baby Safe in a Car Seat, including Greg Durocher of Safe Ride 4 Kids.

Direct Buy Auto Warranty – 9/12/14 -12 Car Seat Safety Mistakes You May Be Making with information provided by Amie Durocher of Safe Ride 4 Kids.

Direct Buy Auto Warranty – 9/5/14 – Childproof Your Car in 7 Easy Steps with information provided by Amie Durocher of Safe Ride 4 Kids.

Mom.me – 7/20/14 – Car Safety Tips for You and Your Child; Buckling up is only the first step to being safe in the car includes information provided by Amie Durocher of Safe Ride 4 Kids.

Safe Ride 4 Kids in the Press

Because we are on a mission to save as many of the 3,000 pregnancies lost every year and the hundreds of children’s lives lost every year due to motor vehicle crashes.

Why Is It Important For You To Talk to Us?

RideSafer:Safe Sound Family – (July 2014) Listed as one of the top 50 travel safety products for families.

Parent Guide News Manhattan – (July 2014 issue, pg 25) Lightweight, easy to use child restraint is convenient way to transport children. (Also online here.)

Consumer Reports – (5/7/14) Writer recommends the RideSafer for carpooling, traveling, taxi rides and using multiple cars to transport one child.

LA Splash Magazine – (May 14) RideSafer is posted on their gift guides.

ExPat Living Singapore – (1/14/14) Traveling via taxi with children in Singapore, recommend the RideSafer Travel Vest

Twins Magazine – (12/4/13) In the News section in their Holiday Guide issue (page 6).

El Colombian – (9/20/13) Product page: Child safety is emphasized in September

Autoweek.com – (2/19/13) Bypass booster seats with travel vest

Condé Nast Traveler.com – (10/5/12) Five tips for traveling with kids who need car seats, including “consider an alternative” like the Ride Safer.

Tummy Shield: KTLA 5 Morning News – (12/15/14) Jenna Barnett, the Safety Girl, shows which products make the best gifts for the holidays, including the Tummy Shield.

Yahoo Voices – (6/16/14) Products that help you protect your belly while pregnant, including the Tummy Shield for car and seat belt safety during pregnancy.

NPR – (5/12/14) While this article doesn’t mention the Tummy Shield, it does describe a Canadian study that shows women in the 2nd trimester are more likely to be involved in a motor vehicle crash. Tummy Shield can help protect mom and baby in the increased likelihood of a crash.

LA Splash Magazines – (May 2014) Tummy Shield was listed in the magazine’s gift guide.

Parent Guide News Nassau – (April 2014) Listed in the Travel Product Guide (pg 60).

Healthy Mom & Baby – (12/1/13) Listed in the Baby Gear Product Guide (pg 62).

Our Products in the Media Greg Durocher is a Child Passenger Safety expert, having been an instructor of the program since 2002. It all began volunteering in the fi re service when he was 18 years old. In 1998 he was hired as a career fi refi ghter & paramedic. He quickly felt a desire to learn as much as he could about Child Passenger Safety because it was clear to him that he would much rather teach a parent how to properly restrain their child in the car instead of respond on a call where that innocent child was injured or killed in a crash. You see, Greg realized that children are the innocent victims in car crashes which are the #1 killer and cause of injury to children in this country.

Did you know that there up to 3000-5000 pregnancies lost every year as a result of crashes, even minor ones? Did you know that the pregnancy can be compromised with no identifi able injury to mom? This Safety Expert shares with us 3 simple steps to keep mom and baby as safe as possible.

Seat belts just weren’t made for pregnant women. What your OB might not have known to tell you about the risks and how to keep the whole family - even the newest addition - safe in the car.

There was a lot of press this last summer about children dying in hot cars and while a tragic loss of life it happens on average 38 times per year. We are also loosing more that 3000 pregnancies a year as a result of car crashes, even minor ones. This Safety Expert shares with us 3 simple steps to keep mom and baby as safe as possible.

Did you know that the seat belts in cars were just not made for pregnant women. Even when worn as recommended there is still a lot that can be done to make it safer for mom and baby. This Safety expert introduces us to a new product that can make a big difference.

Nationally at least 75% of children’s car seats are still not installed correctly. This Car Seat Safety expert gives 5 simple tips to make sure your child’s safety seat is as safe & secure as it was meant to be.

Kids car seats have changed a LOT over the last 20-30 yrs. This safety expert helps grandparent understand the ins and outs of keeping their grandkids safe in the car.

Have you ever seen those dads schlepping multiple car seats and kid gear through the airport just to go on vacation? Did you know it doesn’t have to be that way? I would like to introduce your audience to a toddler “car seat” that can be folded up and fi t in a day bag or carry-on luggage.

Warning! Driving While Pregnant Is More Dangerous � an You’ve Been Told� is safety expert gives three simple tips to put the odds in mom’s and baby’s favor.

SafeRide4Kids.com | Greg@SafeRide4Kids.com | 303-503-1823

"As responsible drivers we can only do our very best to ensure that our precious cargo is properly restrained with the best options available so that if a crash occurs, we are giving our little loved ones the very best chance

at the best possible outcome." — Greg Durocher

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SAFE KIDS4RIDE Child Passenger Safety Expertise | Innovative Products

Tum

my Shield™

Baby’s First Car Seat, the Tummy Shield™, is a seat belt positioning device for moms-to-be that keeps the vehicle seat belt off the pregnant belly, making being in a car much more comfortable. Plus as

experts in the field say seat belts just aren’t made for pregnant women, the Tummy Shield has the added safety

bonus of effectively minimizing the risk that the seat belt will intrude into the mom’s pregnant tummy in the event of a crash or sudden braking thereby helping protect baby and mom.

Manufactured by:

Tummy Shield Company Pty Ltd is based in Australia.

Key Features:• Provides a more comfortable ride for moms-to-

be while in the car• Provides additional safety for pregnant women

and their baby growing in utero• Easy to install, use and transfer seat to seat and

car to carInnovative Design & Improved Safety • Quality design and engineering to provide safe

redirection of the seat belt• Heavy high-tensile steel hook and plate

assembly surrounded by soft cushion• Additional webbing strap attached to steel

plate wraps the vehicle seat to keep Tummy Shield in position

• Repositions lap belt off of pregnant abdomen to create leg harness, protecting organs and fetus in the event of a crash or sudden braking

• Crash tested to make sure seat belt still meets all safety requirements for Australian and U.S. seat belt standards, including at speed higher than those required for testing seat belts

• Comparative crash tests Tummy Shield and seat belt versus just a seat belt

• Integrity tested for strength and endurance • Virtually eliminates “submarining” potential

What Are Some Features & Benef its?

Tum

my Shield™

My name is Keira, I’m 28 years old and very blessed to be pregnant with my first child. At 23 weeks my Mum and I were involved in a serious car accident where a car didn’t stop at a stop sign and pulled out in front of me. I didn’t have time to brake, so I crashed head-on into the car. My car was written-off and both my Mum and I were taken to hospital. My Mum sustained a broken arm, bro-ken chest and much bruising over her entire body — mostly caused by the impact of the air bag. I was wearing the Tummy Shield and other than a fright and some surface bruising to my upper thighs, arms, and chest, my baby and I are fine. It was the worst moment in my husband’s and my life waiting to hear our baby’s heart beat — it felt like an eternity when it was only a few seconds, but after a couple of scans and close monitoring it was determined that our baby had not endured any stress or impact from the accident which com-pletely amazed the doctors and nurses. To my surprise, none of the doctors or nurses had heard of the Tummy Shield so I described it to them and how it worked, and the doctors stated that had I not been wearing the Tummy Shield my baby would have definitely experienced some injury or much worse. I believe that the Tummy Shield protected my baby and even prevented me from sustaining more serious injuries. The Tummy Shield (in combination with the seat belt) did not allow me to move in any direction and actually pinned me to the seat, thus I didn’t feel the impact of the air bag at all.

The Tummy Shield, though elegant and soft looking, is a deceptively strong and highly engineered piece of equipment. At the center of the technology is over 8 pounds of patented, high tensile strength, single piece construction, stainless steel plate and hook assembly which is designed and tested to stand up to the several thousands of pounds of restraining force necessary to keep the seat belt in place under even the most extreme situations.

• The hook and plate assembly of the Tummy Shield is static load tested to the same amount of force required in FMVSS standards for the bolts that anchor the seat belt to the vehicle.

• The Tummy shield has been crash tested in both Australia and the USA using standard Crash Testing protocols with the 5th percentile female instrumented ATD.

• In Australia it was also integrity tested with the 100kg (225 lbs) male test dummy and was tested at speeds higher than the 30mph standard test required for seat belt testing.

• In all tests it performed as designed with zero indications of fatigue or failure. • All resulting instrumented measurements were within the standards for seat belt performance.• During the testing of the Tummy Shield in the USA at Calspan, measurements were taken from the fixed camera video

that demonstrate that there was a small net movement forward of about ½” using a target on the knee as the indica-tor. We believe that this small movement forward is far outweighed by the benefits offered by the Tummy Shield.

You can view crash test videos at: TummyShield.com/safety/crash-tests/

How Well Does the Tummy Shield™ Perform? What do our Tummy Shield™ customers have to say?

I was lucky to discover the Tummy Shield at Ali Landry’s event this years, just as I turned 5 months pregnant. I can’t believe I had not encountered this product before, it is simple and so perfect! I love that it allows my growing bump to not feel the pressure of the seat belt, all the while keeping me and baby safe. Comfort and safety make a good combo during pregnancy. It is also very easy to install and take out. Simple as water, and just as important during these precious 9 months.

— Leonor Valera, actress

My husband and I saw the Tummy Shield when I was already about 6 months pregnant and wish that we’d found it sooner! I feel so much safer driving around without having the seat belt squeezing my belly or cutting into my legs. I never go without it. Even when my husband drives, we switch the Tummy Shield over to the passenger seat. It’s comfortable and very easy to use! We currently rent the Tummy Shield, but if my husband and I decide to have another baby we will be purchasing one to keep our little baby safe right from the beginning!”

— Erika

This was easy to use and easy to transfer from Driver’s seat to passenger, to another car. This is one item that is a must have for all pregnant women. It was such a comfort to know that I did everything in my power to protect my unborn child from injuries if I was in an accident. I don’t think I could forgive myself if I DIDN’T buy this and was in an accident that killed, or permanently harmed my baby.

— Jacinda Dymock Montano

I’ve been using the Tummy Shield for two weeks and love it! It’s very comfortable in both our Prius and SUV. My husband and I often swap cars and swap driving, and have found it easy to install/reinstall it on the driver seat or front passenger seat of either car. I definitely recommend this product for comfort and peace of mind.

— Roberta A.

I love, love, love my Tummy Shield! I am now on my fourth and am carrying really low. The Tummy Shield is so much more comfortable than an ever tightening lap belt. I wish I had it with my other three pregnancies. I also like that it’s really easy to move from car to car and fits different size seats. We have a big SUV and a little Prius. I won’t go anywhere in a car without it now!

— Laurel Wise

I’m a pediatrician and I’m fully aware of the danger of driving while pregnant, I refused to wear a seat belt during my first pregnancy, since I bought your Tummy Shield I have been using it constantly. I find it simple to use and very comfortable. Thank you.

— Helen

Tum

my Shield™

: Press Releases**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 7/16/14** !EDITORS: For images or interview requests, contact: !Gregory Durocher !Tel: 1-844.421.7233 !Email: greg@saferide4kids.com!!

The Tummy Shield Receives 2014 Top Choice of the Year Award for Travel

Safety - Moms-to-Be Category by Creative Child and Baby Maternity Magazine!

The Tummy Shield receives 2014 Top Choice of the Year Award for Travel Safety - Moms-to-Be category by Creative Child and Baby Maternity Magazine.!!

July 16, 2014, Chandler, AZ: The Tummy Shield receives 2014 Top Choice of the Year Award for Travel Safety - Moms to be category by Creative Child and Baby Maternity Magazine. !The Tummy Shield is designed to be a safe and effective alternative to the discomfort of seat belts during a woman's pregnancy. Greg Durocher, Founder of Safe Ride 4 Kids, says, "Most women find themselves pulling the lap portion of the seat belt down and holding it with their thumb or worse, not wearing a seat belt at all!" The invention of the Tummy Shield has revolutionized the way pregnant women can ride in cars with comfort, safety and peace of mind knowing that they and their babies are protected. !The Tummy Shield is a maternity seatbelt positioning device which sits underneath a woman while driving and provides a seat belt repositioning hook made of tensile strength stainless steel, moving the belt down away from the belly to wrap the upper thighs instead. This new procedure is safer and more comfortable for pregnant women according to Tummy Shield and their team. !"Doctors tell women to never place the belt over the abdomen but should be placed low and snug over the pelvis. The problem with this is constant movement up and over the belly creating frustration and irritation for the mom and is a distraction while driving. The Tummy Shield redirects the belt away from the pregnant mothers abdomen comfortably and without distraction," says Durocher. !The Tummy Shield has gone through extensive product testing and crash testing to help protect unborn children from automobile related trauma. !The Tummy Shield has been in many major pregnancy magazines and has recently receive the honor of Top Choice Award for 2014 for Travel Safety for Moms-to-be from Creative Child Magazine and Baby Maternity Magazine. !Details and safety information regarding the Tummy Shield can be found on the http://www.tummyshield.com website.

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**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 9/22/14** !EDITORS: For images or interview requests, contact: !Gregory Durocher !Tel: 1-844.421.7233 !Email: greg@saferide4kids.com!!

Safe Ride 4 Kids Announces Fetal Deaths in Car Crashes 4 Times Higher Than For Children - How Do Pregnant Mothers Keep Their Unborn Babies Safe While Driving?!

Safe Ride 4 Kids announces that fetal deaths in car crashes 4 times higher than for children - How do pregnant mothers keep their unborn babies safe while driving?!

September 22, 2014, Chandler, AZ: Safe Ride 4 Kids announces that fetal deaths in car crashes are 4 times higher than for children - How do pregnant mothers keep their unborn babies safe while driving? !NBC News reported in 2009 that researchers and car manufacturers were shifting focus from infants and children in car safety and booster seats to how to prevent fetal deaths in the event of a car accident. !The 2009 NBC News article said researchers could develop a restraint system to help protect pregnant women and their fetuses. !While the system for reporting fetal deaths and trauma due to motor vehicle crashes is lacking, research into various studies show an estimated 300 to several thousand such deaths occur annually as a result of motor vehicle crashes — at least four times the number of victims between infancy and 4 years old. !National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) states that auto accidents are the single largest cause of death for pregnant women. !“We really do need to get more information and to design vehicles better for this special population,” said Dr. Melissa Schiff, an obstetrician and epidemiologist at the University of Washington’s Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, who has done several studies on motor-vehicle crashes and pregnancy. “It just really flies under the radar — people focus so much on infants and booster seats.” !Ford was said to be a part of the research which was gathering data about dimensions of a fetus, uterus and placenta and how forces effect the tissue. Ford was hoping to use this data to increase the safety features in their vehicles taking into account the safety of pregnant women and their fetus. !The majority of fetal deaths occur when the force of the crash tears the placenta from the uterus, which cuts off oxygen to the fetus. !5 years later the best advice for driving while pregnant remains wear the seat belt properly placed low across the hips and pelvis and have the shoulder portion across the chest. There are only a few pregnant crash test dummies in research laboratories and those can’t depict what really goes on inside the womb during a crash. !There are several devices made to help pregnant mothers keep the seat belt low but only one engineered and crash-tested to keep the seat belt completely off the abdomen. The Tummy Shield is a maternity seat belt positioning device which sits underneath a woman while driving and provides a seat belt repositioning hook made of tensile strength stainless steel, moving the belt down away from the belly and creates a 4-point harness over the upper thighs. Not only does it help protect the fetus and its mother but also helps the mother feel more comfortable in the car thus helping ensure the mother wears the seat belt. !The Tummy Shield is designed to be a safe and effective alternative to the discomfort of seat belts during a woman's pregnancy. Greg Durocher, Founder of Safe Ride 4 Kids, says, "Most women find themselves pulling the lap portion of the seat belt down and holding it with their thumb or worse, not wearing a seat belt at all!" The invention of the Tummy Shield has revolutionized the way pregnant women can ride in cars with comfort, safety and peace of mind knowing that they and their babies are protected. !"Doctors tell women to never place the belt over the abdomen but should be placed low and snug over the pelvis. The problem with this is constant movement up and over the belly creating frustration and irritation for the mom and is a distraction while driving. The Tummy Shield redirects the belt away from the pregnant mothers abdomen comfortably and without distraction," says Durocher. !The Tummy Shield has gone through extensive product testing and crash testing to help protect unborn children from automobile related trauma. !The Tummy Shield has been in many major pregnancy magazines and has recently receive the honor of Top Choice Award for 2014 for Travel Safety for Moms-to-be from Creative Child Magazine and Baby Maternity Magazine. !Details and safety information regarding the Tummy Shield can be found on the http://www.tummyshield.com website.

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Ride Safer®

The Ride Safer® is an alternative restraint system to child restraints with an internal harness system and belt positioning booster seats. It is worn by the child like a vest. It correctly positions the vehicle’s seat belt over the child while keeping their center of gravity low in the vehicle seat which beneficially changes the crash dynamics. The Ride Safer® Travel Vest has improved safety and design over other currently available products.

Manufactured by:

Travel Vest

Safe Traffic System, Inc. is a licensed U.S. company headquartered in Franklin Park, Illinois. Manufacturing, research, development and worldwide

distribution are based and managed out of the Franklin Park Research and Development Center.Safe Traffic System, Inc. is committed to is the development of innovative products for safe and effective transportation of children.

Key Features:• 1 vest goes with your child from vehicle to

vehicle• Car-Pooling is easier and safer than ever• A comfortable, adjustable and stylish restraining

system that older children want to use• Use in any rear seating position with lap and

tether (RS2 only) or lap/shoulder belt• Lightweight and easy to pack for vacations

Innovative Design & Improved Safety and Restraint:• Meets or exceeds applicable Federal Motor

Vehicle Safety Standards. (FMVSS 213)

• Innovative energy absorbing components and design distribute crash force over wide area of the body and decrease HIC (Head Injury Criteria).

• Reduces head excursion and injuries by allowing child to sit directly on vehicle seat

• Repositions lap belt below abdomen, protecting organs in the event of a crash

• Shoulder belt positioner more comfortably repositions shoulder belt away from child’s neck

• Moves with the child, maintaining proper belt positioning throughout trip

• Adjustable to fit growing children — sized to fit until children correctly fit adult vehicle seat belts

What Are Some Features & Benef its?

On December 24, 2009, 2 car collision in Lakeville, MN resulted in a fatal crash at about 5:01 pm.

At the scene of the crash, offi cers observed that the driver of the fi rst vehicle had his young son in the vehicle. The child reportedly had no injuries because he was properly using a child restraint system. The restraint system used was the Ride Safer Travel Vest.

Offi cer Richard G., Farmington, MN Police Department

All vests are sold world-wide and are crash tested in laboratories equipped with approved test fi xtures and personnel authorized to conduct tests in accordance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213 and are located in the United States. Outside of the US, country-specifi c testing is done at facilities approved to test compliance with the ECE Regulation 44 Standard.

The federal government sets performance criteria for how much crash energy is experienced by a child during crash. They do this by requiring the manufactures to crash test their products and measure the results. FMVSS 213 is the federal

standard which sets the performance criteria for child restraints. It requires that manufacturers measure crash energy at several different locations on an instrumented crash test dummy. Those locations are listed under the column heading “Injury Criteria”. “Compliance Requirement” is the column which states the maximum amount of energy that can be measured at a given point and still meet the standard. The Ride Safer® is tested as a harness as prescribed by FMVSS 213.

You will notice the Ride Safer® Travel Vest performs very well, as its results are well below — sometimes by half or more — of the standard maximums allowed.

You can view crash test videos at: RideSaferTravelVest.com/safety/crash-tests/

How Well Does the RideSafer Perform? What do our RideSafer® customers have to say?

Ride Safer® When we travel to Mexico, we take the RideSafer Travel Vest. We use it to get our girls safely from the airport to the hotel and back. We don’t want to lug heavy car seats since we don’t go off the property yet, of course, want the girls to be the safest possible on the shuttle ride. It works well for traveling in New York City as well when we need to jump in and out of taxis. It’s a terrifi c and safe alternative!”

—Samantha Harris, past host of Dancing with the Stars and correspondent at Entertainment Tonight

So, I LOVE THIS CAR SEAT!!! Seriously. Its taken about a week for my son to be really and truly solo on it. AND he loves it too. Its so cool too because it can stay in the car with the latch on the back. A wonderful surprise was that cool book it came with! Super duper awesome.

— Liza Mucheru Wisner, Competitor on The Apprentice in 2010

I use it when we travel mostly, and then it is a lifesaver during the school year as I carpool with 2 neighbors. It is such a great invention. I bought a vest for my younger daughter and a Bubble Bum for the older for a road trip. I’m planning on getting my older daughter a vest also. The Bubble Bum isn’t comfortable for long rides. As far as cabs go, they are so easy. I just use the shoulder strap. I’ve never been comfortable “Brittanying” the kids in a cab and the vest is so easy to carry around if you have a large purse or backpack. It really is a godsend when in an urban setting. Even my parents can use it! lol!

— Kristin Kiley

Just went on vacation with my 2 kids ages 4 & 6. We’ve tried renting and we’ve certainly tried carrying 2 seats in the past. I laughed quite a bit this vacation knowing I had 2 car seats in my carry-on! What a difference. Really took out the worry about what to do about seats for the kiddos and saved my back to boot! What a convenience!

— William Sterling

It took more than two years to determine what she was going to transition to when the time came. So far this solution has made me feel very good about not just her safety but her comfort. She doesn’t have to sit in a plastic framed chair which was one of the main reasons I couldn’t fi nd a big kid car seat that truly satisfi ed me. I am happy I found your product. I am trying to spread the word. For those with 6-year-olds who think they are too big for boosters and car seats, I can’t possibly imagine agreeing with a child’s opinion when their safety is of utmost priority. With the vest she feels like she isn’t so young up against her 13-year-old brother and his friends that might be piling in the car.

— Dawn Luniewski

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How have bloggers reviewed the Ride Safer®?

That mid-sized sedan you bought a few years ago really made sense for your family. You’ve got two kids, you commute, and you didn’t want a car payment or a second mortgage to cover fuel costs.

And it was working just fine until this afternoon, when the neighbor asked you if you would pick up her kid from school along with yours.

Or maybe this is where you live {in a highrise in the city}. That window 14 stories up? That’s your living room. Oh, did

I mention the elevator is out? And this? This is your car [a taxi].We get it. You aren’t lugging a booster up and down those 14

stories every time you need to catch a cab. We at Car Seats For the Littles feel your pain.

A few years back, the folks at Safe Traffic Systems stepped in with a product, the Ride Safer Travel Vest, to fill these niche con-cerns. Today, we have partnered with them and they will kindly be providing a vest to one lucky reader.

The purpose of a booster is to literally boost the child up so that the belt falls along the body where it would on an adult. The belt path also helps to absorbs the forces of a crash, mean-ing less of the force is taken directly by the child’s pelvis.

The Ride Safer Travel Vest is a wearable booster. It holds the seat belt in place where it ought to go. It weighs nearly nothing, and can easily be stored in a backpack, or clipped onto a purse.

Currently, there are two models available; both include a head pillow and do an excellent job of positioning the seat belt over the child. There are two sizes available:

Small: ages 3-6, 30-60 lbs, 35-50”Large: ages 5-8, 50-80 lbs, 45-57”Ride Safer 2: $135 • Can be used with a lap only belt and a top tether up to 60 lbs. • Can also be used with a lap/shoulder belt. • Has a crotch strap for adjusting sitting height.Ride Safer 3: $125 • Can be used with a lap/shoulder belt. • Can NOT be used with a lap-only belt. • Does not have a top tether. • Adjusts sitting height via straps on the back.For this review, we tested version two in both sizes. Joanna is a

CPST with many years experience working with child restraints and tested size large with her kids aged 6, 7.5, and 8. Liz is not a CPST, and gave a non-tech parent’s opinion of the small size with her 3.5 and 7 year olds.

First, Joanna’s perspective: The vest comes in a brightly colored box and within that, the

vest itself comes in a storage bag, suitable for transport. The smaller pieces (top tether strap, and crotch strap, both optional), come in a smaller bag.

The manual, really, a folded and highly durable piece of paper, comes tucked in a clever hidey-pocket in the front of the vest.

The restrictions indicated in the manual suggest this seat is indicated for children 5-8 years of age, 50-80 lbs and 45-57”.

The model here is 4’4”, is 7 1/2 years of age and weighs 60 lbs.

The vest is slightly loose on her, even snugged down.

Even so, it provides an excellent belt fit.

We tried the ac-companying pillow for head support. She declared it, ‘impossible and not comfortable’. Noted. It also seemed to interfere with top tether use (which is indicated for children under 60 lbs when using a lap belt only. Children over 60 lbs should use the dual tether anchor provided by Safe Traffic Systems or use the seat with lap-shoulder belt).

These two models are just slightly outside the specs of the seat. The big guy is 4’9.25” and 75 lbs, 8 years old. Nevertheless,

the vest fits him comfortably and provides a perfect belt fit. While we do not advocate using products outside their stated manufacturer limits, this shows that the height and weight maximum on the seat are realistic.

The little fellow is 46.5”, 44 lbs, and 6 years old. While he is within the height restriction of the seat by several inches, he misses the weight cut off by 6 lbs.

The vest is extremely loose on him. While the lap belt fit is ex-cellent, low on the hips, the shoulder belt fit is poor, up by his face instead of over his shoulder, and hovering slightly in front of his chest instead of crossing it firmly. This is indeed intended for older, bigger kids.

Second, Liz’s perspective:The vest isn’t just for bigger kids. They make a small size, too!

At 37 lbs, 38” and 3.5 years old, young and sassy Vivi fits nicely into this size range.

For us, the vest’s top selling point is that it continuously holds the seat belt properly on the child. We’ve struggled with booster training my oldest daughter (she was 6.5 when we started booster training, today she’s 7.5 and it’s still a work in progress) — her fondness for reaching down to grab things off the car floor presents a safety risk.

Vivi rides rear facing most of the time, but we have a big trip coming up so we needed an alternative to dragging her bulky car seat along, so when given the opportunity to review the vest we enthusiastically said yes! She chose pink and stalked the mailbox until her vest arrived.

The Ride Safer Travel Vest is a convenient alternative to a booster seat and works well in small spaces.

The manufacturer lists the following benefits of the vest: • Easy to carry. • Light weight. • Less bulky. • Easy to store. (Just hang like a coat.) • Super easy to travel withWe’ve found all of those things to be true!It took about 30 seconds to get her ready.Getting her into the vest is a snap — it’s only one buckle and a

strap between her legs. Then she got to walk around ‘like an astro-naut!’ wearing the vest before we got into the car.

First, we buckled the seat belt in, then threaded the belt

Ride Safer® Travel Vest Review from Two Points of View

through three loops on the vest itself. The loop for the shoulder portion of the seat belt is underneath this tidy little flap. You do not need to lock the seat belt.

Using the top tether was also pretty straightforward. In less than a minute, she was ready to go. That kind of convenience is hard to beat! It has a small footprint — it’s only as wide as the child’s bottom so a child wearing the vest can sit between two bulky car seats. This has been a lifesaver for us more than once as it easily stows in the truck for an unexpected rider!

She’s all ready to ride!Our only hesitation is around having a kiddo Vivi’s age

be responsible for sitting properly all the time. While the RSTV is more restrictive than a traditional booster, it is still a booster and requires the child to have the maturity level to stay somewhat in position. 3.5 year old Vivi had a tough time controlling her antsy pants. We’ve been able to work with her on this by talking to her about it as we travel, and by having help from her older sister in the seat next to her but I probably would not be comfortable with her using the vest for more than very occasional trips for another year or so. But for occasional use and on trips where we just can’t bring a car seat, the vest is hard to beat.

Big sister Val also tried out the small RSTV for us, she is 7 years old, 49 lbs and 48”. She is over the suggested age range of 3-6 years old, but within the weight and height limits for the small vest. The fit was great and she found it to be comfortable. She was able to buckle herself into the

vest and thread the seat belt through the loops once in the car. It’s great to know that the weight and height limits of the small vest are realistic for bigger kids, too.

But wait, there’s more coming soon!Another thing we’re extremely excited about is that Safe

Travel Systems is currently working to modify the vest to make it FAA compliant. While we have not seen the up-dated design, we imagine it will include some type of strap that secures the top of the harness round the back of the airline seat. This would certainly add to the usability of the vest; it would allow older children to be safely restrained on the plane without needing to bring a larger and more awkward harnessed seat aboard. They could then transi-tion directly to a vehicle and be safely transported, unlike other airplane harness products that are only suitable for the airplane itself, not the car ride after.

New colors! We love the blue and pink currently avail-able, but the newly created yellow and green colors are awfully sharp! We got a chance to check them out at the Kidz In Motion Conference last month.

All in all, the RSTV is an excellent product that suits a va-riety of needs: whether you’re a city dweller without a regular vehicle, the carpool parent, a frequent traveler, or trying to fit a tight 3-across in a small car; the RSTV is an excellent alternative to the traditional booster seat. Now for the BEST news: the amazing folks at Safe Ride 4 Kids and Safe Traffic Systems provided our vests for review, and they would like to give one away! One lucky reader will win a Ride Safer 2 in their choice of small or large and blue or pink. Contest open to US residents only.

continued...

Ride Safer® Travel Vest, a Car Seat AlternativeTraveling with little kids is complicated; there are lots of things you need to bring to keep them safe and comfortable.

When flying I try to pack light and avoid bringing car seats if possible. Unfortunately, it can’t always be avoided, like on a recent family trip that involved renting a car and driving to an Indiana lake resort. I considered renting car seats, but the logistics just didn’t work.

Turns out, it was a great chance to try out the Ride Safer® Travel Vest I was sent to review. The Ride Safer® Travel Vest is a car seat alternative that works by repositioning the vehicle’s shoulder and lap belt to correctly fit the child. It’s also the only alternative I found that works for kids as young as 3.

We started using the vest at home a few weeks before our trip. We found it very convenient to use when traveling in alternate vehicles, like Grandma’s car. Switching out the large car seat between vehicles is a pain and completely unnecessary with the travel vest.

There is no seat to install; we just buckle my son in the vest and he is ready to go. Once in the car, we simply fasten the seat belt normally, and then insert the seat belt into the lap and shoulder belt guides on the vest. The vest can be adjusted to accommodate a wide range of kids, making it perfect for when you have other little ones to transport too. Both of my boys fit in the small size vest (30-60 lbs) and the large size will accommodate kids from 50-80 lbs.

The Ride Safer® Travel Vest is easy to use and easy to transport. We opted to pack it in a spare suitcase since checking luggage wasn’t an issue on our trip. However, the vest comes with a drawstring bag that could easily fit under the seat in front of you when flying.

Safe Ride 4 Kids provided Desert Family Traveling Mom, Karen Heffern with vest for the purpose of reviewing as travel product.

Ride Safer®

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 11/5/13** EDITORS: For images or interview requests, contact: Gregory Durocher Tel: 1-602.421.7233 Email: greg@saferide4kids.com(As a courtesy, please notify us if your publication or website runs information about the vest.)

To Grandmother’s House We Go — Making Holiday Travel with Kids Easier

RideSafer® Travel Vest Now Makes Traveling With Kids To Or With Grandparents Easier and Safer Than Ever Before

CHANDLER, Ariz. – The holidays are around the corner. It’s time for traveling to visit family. Now there is a safe, easy and legal alternative to traveling with bulky, heavy car seats. The RideSafer® Travel Vest is a lightweight, easy to pack and easy to use child restraint. Plus, parents can rest assured their children will ride safely once the family reaches their destination.

“I just went on vacation with my two kids ages four and six. We've tried renting, and we've certainly tried carrying two seats in the past. I laughed quite a bit this vacation knowing I had two car seats in my carry-on,” said William Sterling of Denver. “What a difference. Really took the worry about what to do about seats for the kiddos and saved my back to boot.”

Car seats are notoriously cumbersome, difficult to install and rarely used correctly. Given that 84% car seats are installed or used incorrectly by parents, you can imagine grandparents may feel nervous about using them, especially considering their unfamiliarity with child restraints and possible physical limitations. The RideSafer® Travel Vest is so easy and intuitive, grandparents can feel comfortable taking the kids on an outing knowing the children will be safely and correctly restrained.

“I purchased RideSafer car seats for our grandchildren. They are really easy to use and convenient to take with us on vacation. They are small enough to fit in our suitcase, and they are easily fitted into any rental car,” said Judith Monaco of Illinois.

The RideSafer® can be worn by children from 3 years old and 30 pounds up to 80 pounds (usually between 8 and 12 years of age). The vest meets or exceeds Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS 213). Dynamic crash tests have proven that the multi‐layer energy absorbent foams and polyethylene laminates in the front panels of the RideSafer® Travel Vest coupled with the tri‐layer force absorbing tether clip, which stretches in an impact, reduces the crash forces transferred to the child's body by as much as 50 percent. The shoulder belt guide is specially designed to bend during a crash so that it adds to the reduction of forces to the torso and further absorbs the energies during the crash.

While a traditional booster seat boosts a child up to make the child fit the vehicle’s seat belt, the RideSafer® positions the seat belt down to correctly fit the child, allowing the child to remain in the vehicle seat. Sitting in the vehicle seat is not only more comfortable for the child than using a hard plastic booster but it also is safer. It has been found that children sitting in the vehicle seat have a lower center of mass which reduces their head excursion in the event of a crash.

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 5/20/14** !EDITORS: For images or interview requests, contact: !Gregory Durocher !Tel: 1-844.421.7233 !Email: greg@saferide4kids.com! ! RideSafer® Travel Vest - Child Car Safety Restraint System, Releases New

Generation of the Ride Safer Travel Vest Version 2 and Version 3!RideSafer® Travel Vest - Child Car Safety Restraint System, releases new generation of the Ride Safer Travel Vest Version 2 and Version 3. The new 3rd generation Ride Safer Travel Vest 2 and 3 are redesigned for comfort, better fit and positioning of the car lap

seat belt!!May 20, 2014, Denver, CO. : RideSafer® Travel Vest - Child Car Safety Restraint System, releases new generation of the Ride Safer Travel Vest Version 2 and Version 3. !The new 3rd generation Ride Safer Travel Vest 2 and 3 are redesigned for comfort, better fit and positioning of the car lap seat belt. !The new version of the Ride Safer Travel Vest comes in new color schemes with a new air mesh fabric for better air flow and a cooler more comfortable ride for the child. The existing RideSafer Travel Vest version 2 and 3 are still available in the original Roseboa fabric and blue and pink colors. !The new version is designed to work seamlessly with airplane seat accessory straps and is currently undergoing testing for FAA approval for use on airplanes. !Safe Ride 4 Kids Principal Greg Durocher says, " Once the FAA testing is complete and approval granted the Ride Safer Travel Vest is going to revolutionize airline travel with small children." !If the FAA approves the vest for airline travel it will eliminate lugging bulky car seats through airports and down the center aisle of an airplane along with your carry on luggage not to mention your kids! Imagine vacation travel with kids wearing their child safety restraint system and seamlessly transferring from car to airplane to taxi. The Ride Safer Travel Vest is tested, safe and approved by the federal government for use in cars. !The federal government sets performance criteria for how much crash energy is experienced by a child during crash. They do this by requiring the manufactures to crash test their products and measure the results. FMVSS 213 is the federal standard which sets the performance criteria for child restraints. It requires that manufacturers measure crash energy at several different locations on an instrumented crash test dummy. Those locations are listed under the column heading “Injury Criteria”. “Compliance Requirement” is the column which states the maximum amount of energy that can be measured at a given point and still meet the standard. The RideSafer Travel Vest is tested as a harness as prescribed by FMVSS 213. !Safety specifications are available on the Ride Safer Travel Vest website. !You will notice that both versions of the RideSafer® Travel Vest perform very well, as its results are well below — sometimes by half or more — of the standard maximums allowed. !Safe Ride 4 Kids is a US Distributor for child car safety products including the RideSafer Travel Vest. Visit SafeRide4Kids.com for additional information and details about the new version of the child safety vest and information regarding safe travel with kids.

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Ride Safer®: Press Releases