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Push-chair safety

3 replies

autobrake · 03/05/2009 12:51

Hello all,
I am a design student seeking some comments and thoughts from parents. I am doing a project looking at push-chair safety and their braking or stopping systems. I want to design a system for automatically stopping a push-chair from rolling when the usual brakes are not applied. So....
[b]Do you always apply the push-chair brakes when you are stationary?
Could you describe any experiences of problems with stopping a push-chair?
Do you think an auto-brake system is a good idea?
Would you pay more for a push-chair with an auto brake built in?
Would you buy a separate auto-brake attachment or accessory?[/b]

Any responses or thoughts further to the above questions gratefully received.
Thanks,
Jo

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
peppapighastakenovermylife · 03/05/2009 16:35

Do you always apply the push-chair brakes when you are stationary?

Yes - well if I am stationary and have to let go of the pram that is. Otherwise, if on the flat no.

Could you describe any experiences of problems with stopping a push-chair?

Um, its difficult going down a steep hill or if the ground doenst have much grip. For example - the slip path down to a beach near here is rather difficult - pram feels like it will roll away as is quite heavy. Maybe something that slowed the pram down on a hill may be good

Do you think an auto-brake system is a good idea?

I think so, but how would it know when to brake? If it kept accidentally braking that would be very annoying!

Would you pay more for a push-chair with an auto brake built in?

I dont know. I think it would maybe make me choose a pushchair over another one if I was undecided but I wouldnt spend more on it.

Would you buy a separate auto-brake attachment or accessory?[/b]

No, I dont think so.

I would like a brake to be operated by hand on the handle bars I think...or for them at least to make the foot ones chunky. The best design you press a big button with your foot - the lever ones are really difficult to do when you have sandles on in the summer! Needs to be big and chunky too - phil and teds one is useless.

Hope that helps

autobrake · 04/05/2009 21:55

Hi, yes this really does help and I appreciate you taking the time to reply. I wish I could offer you a free entry to a prize draw holiday!

OP posts:
fruitful · 04/05/2009 22:04

If it came with the pushchair it would need to still work reliably about 8 years and three or four children later. It seems to me to be something that might easily go wrong.

I have a pram with a disc-brake on the front wheel that is operated by a bike-style brake on the handle - great for going down hill.

The main time when I would want an autobrake is when I need to park the pram (and baby) very quickly and charge off after an older child. Stamping the brake on and checking that it worked wastes precious seconds as your 3yo careers downhill on his bike towards the road. (That was this afternoon; I did catch him).

I wouldn't pay for it as I don't intend to buy another pram now. I'm not sure I would have understood the need for it when I was pregnant with my first child. You tend not to think ahead to days when you may have more than just the one little baby and all the time in the world to apply a brake.

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