While traffic deaths are down overall from the past few years, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is working hard to ensure that trend continues downward, especially for the most vulnerable of us: children. For this reason, they have taken several steps to help improve the safety of children in car accidents. Keep reading to learn more or contact The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker at 800-333-0000 if you or your child has suffered an injury in an accident.
There Are Two Big Things on the Horizon
Child Passenger Safety Week was at the end of September, and during this week the NHTSA announced two big things they believe will make a difference in the safety of children. First, they introduced a new crash test dummy. Second, they proposed new regulations and updates to improve the safety of child restraint systems.
The New Crash Test Dummy
They are calling the new crash test dummy Q3. It represents a three-year-old child and is the first child side-impact dummy that has been used in federal regulations. It was designed for this specific purpose – to test child seats in side-impact accidents. This dummy is expected to offer more realistic data bout the results of side impact crashes on children. The agency can now use this tool to assess how safe children are in various car seats.
The Upgrades to Child Restraint Systems
The government is also proposing several upgrades to the federal safety standards, specifically to the Frontal Impact Tests for Child Restraint Systems. The goal is to make the test be more like what a real-world child seat is and how it most used in homes. For example, they propose that labels should be added to all car seats that clearly indicate that young children should stay in their rear-facing seat until they outgrow the height and weight limits of the seat.
They are also considering requiring child seat labeling to include information on how the public can correctly use child restraint systems, with additional options for parents and other caregivers to register their set so they can get instant information if it is recalled.
The NHTSA is Working to Make it Easier for Parents to Compare Car Seats
The NHTSA also notes that they are going to amend the child restraint systems they currently list and test in their Appendix. This is the list that can show parents which options are safest. The issue is that it has not been updated since 2008, which means that many of the models listed are no longer in production. They believe that reducing the number of overall car seats listed will make it easier for a parent to find the car seat they are using or considering.
Have you or your child been injured in a car accident? If you have, and the accident was the fault of someone else, contact The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker at 800-333-0000 for a free legal consultation.
