One mum's tear-jerking car seat tribute after terrifying, life-threatening accident

"Dear Diono, it's taken me 3 weeks to write this post as emotions from this day still run high,” she began in her post.

"3 weeks ago today in Midwest Illinois we suffered an ice storm. It was early on this morning that on my way to work my 2 year old daughter and I hit a patch of ice on the road, sending my Jeep into a ditch where we then rolled 1 and 1/2 times landing on our side.

"I have NO DOUBT in my mind that your carseat saved my daughter's life that morning. I commute an hour each way for work, I remember my family thought I was CRAZY after the birth of my daughter because I searched for MONTHS for the perfect carseat.

"I watched carseat crash test videos over and over again until I found the safest seat for my baby, the Diono Rainier, my husband thought I was nuts to spend so much on a carseat. And I could not be more thankful that I did.

"No parent should ever have to turn and look in the backseat to see if their child is still alive, but if you ever do I hope you see what I saw. My child perfectly snug in her carseat, she did not move an inch, her carseat did not move an inch, everything around her was broken, but she was perfect. She did not have a single scratch on her.

"Even with the roof and windows broken, the Rainier kept her safe. You cannot put a price on your child's life. We will not only be Diono customers for life, but will advocate for the brand that saved our daughter."

Whoa, this is one hell of a speech, and we gotta admit, it did make us a little tear up a little bit ?

Now, the particular car seat mentioned in this story - the Diono Rainier - might not sound very familiar to our mums based in the UK, as it’s largely sold over in the US.

But it's actually very close to the Diono Radian 5 - a car seat which is available here in the UK (pictured above).

Jo Ebdon-Muir, Head of Marketing and Product at Diono, tells us: "Rainier is the US version of Radian 5 – the steel frame which provides the strength and protection is the same in both seats."

Though of course, it should almost go without saying that there are a variety of brands out there producing safe and secure car seats, too.

(And if you want to learn more about them, you can dive into MFM’s trusted car seat reviews right here).

There’s a big take away for all of us from this mum’s story: the absolute importance of having the right car seat and ensuring it’s fastened and harnessed correctly.

And making sure to do your research BEFORE you buy is key, so that you know you’ve got the right seat for your child, and your family’s needs.

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Image: Facebook/Andrea Murray

Some of MFM's highest-rated car seats:

• 13 of the best baby car seats from birth
• 12 of the best car seats, from 9 months
• 10 of the best rear-facing, group 1 car seats
• 10 of the best car seats, from 4 years

Get more info on car seats and safety here:

• What types of car seat are there?
• Child booster seat laws in 2017 - the latest updates
• WATCH: The Car Seat Ladies answer your frequently asked car seat questions
• What you need to know about winter coats and car seats