BRYAN, Texas — A rollover convincer model built and fabricated here in the Brazos Valley by Texas AgriLife Extension shows what happens to passengers in a rollover crash, emphasizing the importance of seat belt safety.
The rollover convincer model was funded by a grant through State Farm, showing how passengers could respond in a rollover crash.
This upgraded model includes a backseat that shows how a child’s safety is impacted in the absence of a seat belt.
“It just meant a lot to me, especially on the ambulance,” said Denise Stackhouse, Local parent. “When I saw these kids getting hurt, I wanted to know what I could do to better help them, and their parents be more knowledgeable as to what they needed to be properly seat belted because I didn’t know. I didn’t have a child yet.”
“You can be the best driver in the world but it’s everyone else you got to worry about so protecting your kids first and foremost by having them seat belted is the way to go.”
Denise Stackhouse was a child passenger seat safety technician and worked on an ambulance for 20 years in the Brazos Valley.
Working in emergency services and helping other parents is the reason Stackhouse ensures her seven-year-old son rides in a car seat.
“You can only be as safe as you can on the road but when other people are around, you got to watch out for their safety,” says Stackhouse. “The first thing to do is have them seat belted properly. He’s still in a booster seat and he doesn’t mind it because mom says that’s how to be safe. He’s my world and I want to protect him in the best way possible.”
Mike Guidry with Texas AgriLife says bigger vehicles are more likely to rollover.
“Everybody in Texas has a pickup truck,” says Mike Guidry, Texas AgriLife Extension Child Passenger Safety Instructor. “I mean you look out here on 2818, pickup trucks everywhere, SUVs, tall vans. These are more susceptible to rollover crashes versus your normal sedan because they’re heavier on top, higher off the ground.”
The outcome of not wearing a seat belt can be deadly.
“Children will be able to see the effects of how safe it is to not only be in the but in the center position,” says Guidry. “At the same time, we’ll have adult dummies that’ll be at the front. We’ll unbuckle one, leave the other one buckled up so while it rolls, one of those dummies will actually be ejected.”
Guidry says during the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension passenger safety events, they reflect on Kailee Mills.
During October 2017, Kailee Mills was riding with her friends when the unexpected happened. Mills was in the backseat with her seatbelt unfastened, taking a selfie. The car lost control and flipped over, ejecting Kailee, and killing her instantly. Her family has created the Kailee Mills Foundation in her honor and aim to help others be aware of passenger safety.
“You’re more likely to roll this truck and the results can be catastrophic,” says Guidry. “Because of the weight, you’re going to roll much longer than you would in a normal car, and the likelihood of you being ejected increases significantly.”
Stackhouse wants other parents to know they are not alone.
“Not everybody knows how those crazy car seats work, but if you get somebody to help you do it, it just makes you feel so much better that you’re doing everything you can to keep your child safe,” says Stackhouse.
For more information on the rollover convincer and passenger safety, you can find more details here.