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NHTSA Proposes New Safety Regulations for Child Car Seats

Last week the government proposed new regulations that would require child car seats to protect children from injury and death in side-impact crashes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s proposed regulations would increase standards for child car seats for children weighing up to forty pounds by adding new tests that simulate side-impact automobile collisions. The NHTSA estimates that the new tests will prevent the deaths of approximately five children and injuries to about sixty-four others per year. NHTSA Acting Administrator David Friedman was quoted as stating, “Car seats are an essential tool for keeping young children safe in vehicles, and they have a proven track record of saving lives.”

The new proposed tests will simulate what is commonly known as a “T-bone” crash, where the front of a vehicle driving 30 mph will hit the side of a small passenger car driving 15 mph. Friedman said that testing the vehicles at “these speeds will cover over 90 percent of the side-impact crashes seen in the real world.” NHTSA officials reported that the tests will place the car seat on a sled and will have another sled strike the sled with the car seat, which will ensure that the car seats and not the vehicles themselves are being tested. The test will use not only an already approved twelve-month-old child dummy, but will add a three-year-old dummy.

Congress passed a transportation law in 2012, which requires that the NHTSA issue new regulations concerning car seats by later this year. However, NHTSA reports that it has been working on improving side-impact collision standards for years now. Some manufacturers have already taken steps to improve the protection afforded by their car seats in side-impact collisions. A spokeswoman for the Dorel Juvenile Group stated that the company has, since 2009, been adding small, already-inflated air bags into some of their car seat models to protect children’s heads in the event of a side-impact crash. The public will now have ninety days to provide commentary on the NHTSA proposal. The regulations will not be officially put in place until the agency has time to review the comments and respond to any pressing issues, which could take months or even years.

New rules sought to make child car seats safer www.palmbeachpost.com January 22, 2013


Side-impact crashes occur all too often and can lead to devastating tragedy. Intersections are some of the most dangerous places on the roads and that is where side-impact crashes typically occur. The injuries caused in these accidents can be very severe, including traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injuries, or even death. The injuries can be particularly traumatic for young children, so a safe car seat is crucial. The Fort Lauderdale automobile accident attorneys have been working with victims of serious accidents for over twenty years. The Coral Gables child injury attorneys have worked to help their clients recover compensation for injuries and other losses. If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of an automobile accident, call a personal injury attorney at the Friedland | Carmona today at (305) 661-2008 for your free consultation.

The Miami product defect attorneys at the Friedland | Carmona handle all types of automobile accidents throughout the state of Florida, including Boca Raton, Homestead, North Miami, South Miami, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Pembroke Pines, Hialeah, Kendall, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach. The Friedland | Carmona handles all types of personal injury cases, including wrongful death, defective products, medical malpractice, slip and falls and construction site injuries. Call today and let our family take care of your family!

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