Car seats are used in order to keep all children under 65 lbs. safe while riding in a vehicle, including infants. The American Academy of Pediatrics considers the safety standards to regulate car seats to be useful, but that they should be continually improved. There are several safety standards in place, but some highlights include basic construction, crash test performance and labeling standards.
Basic Standards
Car seats must adhere to basic safety standards related to the construction and material being used. For example, Safety Belt Safe U.S.A. states that there must be padding around the head area on seats for children weighing 22 lbs. or less, and that flame-retardant fabric must be used. There also must be 85 square inches of flat or concave back support. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration states that beginning in 2002, all car seats and most vehicles must also have Low Anchor and Tethers for Children (LATCH) capabilities. This is designed to improve car seat installation and requires car seats to have special LATCH hooks and most vehicles to have compatible anchors.
Test Conditions
Car seats must pass a 30 mph crash simulation in order to meet safety standards. During the test, the vehicle seats are adjusted midway. The windows are closed and all doors are closed but unlocked. During the test, an infant-size dummy is positioned with its arms downward and resting on the surface of the car seat. If the test is performed in a convertible vehicle, the top is closed for the test.
Test Results
To meet safety standards, the car seat’s adjustment must not change during the crash testing. The infant dummy’s torso must remain secured in the seat and the force applied to the chest from the crash is measured. The test also measures how far the dummy’s head goes forward in the crash. This measurement varies for different types of car seats, but according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, in a car seat secured by a seat belt the head must not go forward more than 813 mm in a plane.
Harness
There are specific safety standards that apply to the harness of a car seat, which is the area responsible for restraining an infant in a crash. The restraints must not break in the crash testing and need to provide torso restraint. The harness must have a belt passing over each shoulder and in the lap and crotch area. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration also states that the harness must be secure enough that only an adult can unbuckle it.
Installation and Instructions
A properly installed car seat must have no means of attaching to a vehicle seat cushion. When installed, a white label with black text must be visible. The label must state that the seat conforms to safety standards and also list the basic instructions for installation, information about the manufacturer, and a warning about the dangers of placing a rear-facing car seat in the front seat with an air bag. The label must also include the car seat’s weight and height limits.
