Consumer Reports causes a stir
Staff -- Kids Today, 1/9/2007 12:00:00 AM
Consumer Reports issued results last week of its independent impact study done on infant car seats conducted in October. Since then chat rooms, blogs and media outlets have been spreading the word that 10 out of the 12 infant car seats tested failed the magazine’s tests.
The report, which will be published in the February issue of the magazine, is based on Consumer Reports' crash-testing seats at higher speeds than is required by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; the NHTSA requires seats to withstand a 30-mph frontal crash. Consumer Reports tested the seats at 35 mph frontal and 38 mph side impact, the same speeds used for new vehicle testing.
Manufacturers, associations, buying groups and more all are responding to the report to reassure consumers that car seats still are the best way to keep kids safe in vehicles.
Safe Kids Worldwide, a Washington, D.C.-based non profit and global network of organizations with the mission of preventing accidental childhood injury, issued a statement from its media team and Safe Kids Buckle Up staff.
"We want to see the technology continue to improve, but we don't want parents to lose confidence in their car seats today - the best protection available. Federal standards do not call for side-impact crash tests at this time. The International Standards Organization is drafting global standards that will include side-impact tests; meanwhile, the highest standard in the world is a side-impact crash test at 19 mph that is mandatory in Australia. Consumers Union tested car seats at twice that speed," said Lorrie Walker, technical advisor to Safe Kids Worldwide and National Child Passenger Safety Board member.
The organization is the certifying body for the nation's 30,000 Child Passenger Safety Technicians and has inspected nearly 1 million car seats and booster seats through the Safe Kids Buckle Up program established in 1996 in partnership with General Motors.
Most all associations and organizations are reiterating that car seats are safe and effective if used correctly. Every seat on the U.S. market has passed the rigorous crash tests required by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
They also are asking Consumers Union, the non-profit organization that publishes Consumer Reports, to release their data and methodology.
The Juvenile Product Manufacturers Association questions the validity of the findings.
"Child restraints are highly effective safety devices that have saved thousands of children’s lives in car crashes," said Robert Waller, JPMA president. "Their use is required throughout the nation because they are so effective at reducing injury to children. It is irresponsible to suggest that infant child restraints may not perform well in crashes."
JPMA notes that the NHTSA has said that an increase in severity of speed would require redesign of many child restraints and increase their cost "without a proportionate safety benefit" and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has confirmed that "child restraints designed to pass the current 30 mph standard are providing very good protection to children in frontal crashes, and there is no evidence suggesting that designing child restraints to withstand higher crash forces could have prevented or mitigated any of the serious or fatal injuries in cases studied by the Institute."
JPMA's statement also points out that the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute advised that the 30 mph sled test is "more severe than approximately 98% of the frontal impact crashes nationwide." UMTRI cautioned against increasing the speed of the test noting that increasing the velocity of the test is not likely to increase safety, but will increase consumer cost of child restraint systems. In addition, designing child restraints to pass a test at higher crash severity may lead to child restraint design changes that make the restraints less effective or more easily misused at lower severity crashes, which occur much more frequently."
Consumer Reports' article takes issue with the LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) attachments, which can be difficult or confusing for consumers to use. It also raises the question as to why U.S. safety standards are not uniform with European standards, which include a 31-mph frontal crash.
Manufacturers mentioned in the article quickly sent statements to retailers and most are encouraging consumers to call them directly with any questions. Since the manufacturers do not have access to details like how the test was setup, the crash pulse, the dummy specifications and any alterations or deviations from the specifications outlined in NHTSA test protocols they can’t comment on the technical aspects of the magazine’s article but reiterate that their products all have passed the safety standards set by the federal government and they encourage consumers to have their car seats installed as recommended by both the car seat and vehicle manufacturer.
Both car seat manufacturers and industry retailers strive to educated consumers on the proper installation procedures and some go so far as to offer free, certified installation. Many local police and fire department as well as hospitals also offer this free service.
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Consumer Reports retracts report on car seats
Feb 1, 2007
