Door County Public Health Certified Car Seat Safety Technicians Pam Robillard and Teri Van Lieshout say as long as your car seat has not expired and is properly installed in your vehicle, new federal standards announced this week should not force you to run to the store.
According to WKBN in Youngstown, Ohio, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is updating federal standards to improve how car seats are tested. After years of focusing on how front- and rear-end crashes affect car seats, side-impact crashes will now be considered.
After Dec. 5, all newly manufactured car seats will have to comply with the new side-impact test. Robillard and Van Lieshout say car seat technology is always evolving, and that means seats are already tested for side-impact crashes. They add that this is a good reminder to ensure your car seat is properly fitted and installed for your child.
Robillard and Van Lieshout say you can visit the Door County Public Health Department to schedule an appointment to have one of their certified car seat safety technicians check your child’s car seat.
According to AAA, properly used car seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by up to 82% for children compared with seat belt use alone, though between 46% and 81% of car seats are installed or used incorrectly.
