When it comes to the safety of our children, we expect nothing but the best. But did you know that many infant car seats on the market are not living up to their “safety” claims?
Consumer Reports(CR) is issuing a Safety Alert to all parents, urging them to take a closer look at their child’s car seat. Shocking crash test results have revealed that most infant car seats fail to perform well under higher-speed crash simulations, even though they meet federal safety standards.
Out of the 12 infant seats tested, only 2 proved to provide adequate protection: the Baby Trend Flex-Loc and the Graco SnugRide with EPS. Nine other seats, some of which meet the federal safety standard, failed to offer sufficient protection. One seat – the Evenflo Discovery – did not even meet the safety standard at all. We are calling on federal officials to recall this dangerous seat immediately.
What’s even more concerning is that infant car seats sold in Europe undergo much more rigorous testing than those sold in the U.S. When CR conducted crash tests on an infant seat purchased in England, it outperformed the U.S. model from the same manufacturer. This raises serious questions about the safety standards in the U.S.
Our findings also highlight issues with the LATCH attachment system, which is federally mandated for child car seats. Surprisingly, most car seats performed worse with LATCH than with vehicle safety belts, and LATCH attachments are often difficult to use.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the federal agency responsible for regulating car seats, needs to take immediate action. We strongly believe that safety testing for car seats should be comparable to the tests conducted on new cars, including rigorous side-crash tests. Automakers should also make LATCH anchors and tethers easily accessible, and LATCH anchors should be required in center-rear seats.
In the meantime, here’s what you can do to keep your baby as safe as possible while traveling:
1. Purchase one of the two infant car seats we recommend.
2. If you already own a Chicco KeyFit, Compass I410, Evenflo Embrace, or Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP, use it with vehicle safety belts, as they performed well in our tests. If you can’t achieve a tight fit with the safety belt, consider buying one of our recommended seats.
3. Consider replacing your current infant seat with the Baby Trend Flex-Loc or the Graco SnugRide with EPS.
4. Secure your child in the center-rear seat if possible, as it provides the best safety.
5. Visit www.nhtsa.gov to find a free car-seat inspection station near you.
6. Don’t forget to register your new car seat to stay informed about any recalls.
Remember, any child car seat is better than no seat at all. Take action now to ensure your child’s safety on the road.
SOURCE:CONSUMERREPORTS
