Narrative:

With all the recent publicity about turbulence injuries to passenger and the concern about the safety of lap children, I thought I would pass along a device I saw in operation on foreign carriers that may help. (You may already be aware of this -- but I haven't seen it used on domestic airlines.) the device is simply a small seat belt similar to a seatbelt 'extender' or 'demonstration' seatbelt with a loop of seatbelt webbing sewn to the middle of the back of the belt at a 90 degree angle to the belt. The adult, while fastening their seatbelt, simultaneously slips the child's belt onto theirs through the 90 degree loop. The child is then placed on the adult's lap, and the child's belt (anchored to the adult's belt) fastened around the child. I believe several european acrs may use this type of restraint. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he observed a couple of foreign airlines handing out these devices to passenger as they boarded with lap children. He has not seen them used in the united states. He feels it is a major step in the safety of lap children if turbulence is encountered.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNITED STATES AIRLINE PLT COMMENTS REGARDING CHILD SAFETY BELTS USED IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES ON ACR FLTS.

Narrative: WITH ALL THE RECENT PUBLICITY ABOUT TURB INJURIES TO PAX AND THE CONCERN ABOUT THE SAFETY OF LAP CHILDREN, I THOUGHT I WOULD PASS ALONG A DEVICE I SAW IN OP ON FOREIGN CARRIERS THAT MAY HELP. (YOU MAY ALREADY BE AWARE OF THIS -- BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN IT USED ON DOMESTIC AIRLINES.) THE DEVICE IS SIMPLY A SMALL SEAT BELT SIMILAR TO A SEATBELT 'EXTENDER' OR 'DEMO' SEATBELT WITH A LOOP OF SEATBELT WEBBING SEWN TO THE MIDDLE OF THE BACK OF THE BELT AT A 90 DEG ANGLE TO THE BELT. THE ADULT, WHILE FASTENING THEIR SEATBELT, SIMULTANEOUSLY SLIPS THE CHILD'S BELT ONTO THEIRS THROUGH THE 90 DEG LOOP. THE CHILD IS THEN PLACED ON THE ADULT'S LAP, AND THE CHILD'S BELT (ANCHORED TO THE ADULT'S BELT) FASTENED AROUND THE CHILD. I BELIEVE SEVERAL EUROPEAN ACRS MAY USE THIS TYPE OF RESTRAINT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE OBSERVED A COUPLE OF FOREIGN AIRLINES HANDING OUT THESE DEVICES TO PAX AS THEY BOARDED WITH LAP CHILDREN. HE HAS NOT SEEN THEM USED IN THE UNITED STATES. HE FEELS IT IS A MAJOR STEP IN THE SAFETY OF LAP CHILDREN IF TURB IS ENCOUNTERED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.