The Hurphy Durphy is a life-saving product

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All parents want to keep their children safe in the car. So it’s frightening to learn that, according to the 2006 Australasian Road Safety Research, Policing and Education Conference, for every five injuries sustained by children in motor vehicle accidents, two are the direct result of incorrectly fitted child restraints. Statistics from the same conference reported than an incorrectly restrained child is seven times more likely to sustain life-threatening injuries than those restrained properly. Alarmingly, it has been documented that around the world, over 70 per cent of child restraints are incorrectly installed.

Seat belt buckles act as anchor points for child restraints. In most cases, a rear-located anchor point is securely mounted and latched in, while the second anchor point is a seat belt buckle. If this buckle is undone and an accident occurs, the combined weight of the child and the restraint creates a catapult effect, with potentially catastrophic results.

“It is crucial to protect the seat belt buckle when it is acting as a child seat anchor,” says Australian paediatrician Lindsay Adams. “Since there are only two anchor points securing a restraint to the car, if one is undone this significantly reduces the performance of that restraint in an accident.”

Imogen Mirmikidis was inspired to invent the Hurphy Durphy after a terrifying experience involving her son Jasper, who was one-year-old at the time. A passenger in their car had accidentally released the seatbelt securing his baby capsule and, not realising this, she drove on a busy freeway at 100 kilometres an hour. As she took an exit, she realised her son was swinging across the back seat in his unanchored car restraint. Thinking about what could have happened to Jasper if she’d been involved in an accident, or even just stopped suddenly, she began searching baby shops and the internet for a product to stop this from happening again.

Imogen was shocked to find that such a product didn’t exist. Realising that all child restraints with a five-point harness have the potential to become unanchored, she decided to do something about it. She obtained a grant so she could develop a prototype and, after three years of research, development and testing, had finalised the design. The Hurphy Durphy is now stocked in over 300 stores Australia-wide, and we are excited to be the first New Zealand stockist.

Made from neoprene and plastic, the Hurphy Durphy is suited to both front release and top opening seat belt buckles. Once fitted, it can be removed easily by adults but is virtually impossible for children to unfasten, due to the use of heavy duty Velcro®. This also removes the risk of accidental release.

With its simple yet effective design, the Hurphy Durphy can be used in vehicles the world over. This includes American vehicles fitted with the LATCH safety system, which has child weight capacity limitations.

The Hurphy Durphy is installed in three simple steps:

               

1. Open device, place over ‘female’ end of seat belt buckle and fold flap down.
2. Feed the ‘male’ end of the seat belt through the device’s slot. Ensure the belt has engaged with the buckle by applying adequate pressure until a click is heard. Then tug the belt to ensure it is locked in position.
3. Wrap the Velcro® hook and loop over both sides of the device. To remove the seat belt, simply reverse these directions.

Removal of the Hurphy Durphy is not necessary in an emergency as the child can simply be taken from their capsule or infant seat. It is recommended that the Hurphy Durphy is always maintained in its secure position.