NHTSA Releases New Guidelines for Car Seats 3-2011

Mar 25, 2011
Rosemary King

Child car seat - checkpointusa

Crashes are the leading cause of death for children from 3-14 years of age. Keeping them safe and in the most appropriate car seat.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released the revised guidelines this week for child safety car seats. The major change is to assign the seat based on the child's age, rather than the type of seat. These guidelines are based on the latest scientific knowledge as well as research and development and mimic the American Academy of Pediatrics's recommendations. Here are some of the guidelines based on age according to the NHTSA:

Infant- 2 years of age

The prior recommendation from 2002 was that all infants should be in a rear facing position until at least 1 year of age or 20 pounds and never in the front seat where an air bag could be deployed. The new recommendation is to keep the infant and toddler in a rear facing position until the age of two or until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat's manufacturer. Don't be in a hurry to turn the child around to face forward. It has been found that a rear facing seat provides better protection in supporting the head, neck, and spine of the infant and toddler during a crash. A 2007 study in the journal Injury Prevention showed that children under age 2 are 75% less likely to die or be severely injured in a crash if they are rear-facing.

Toddlers-Preschoolers

The type of seats that can used for this age group are the convertible seats and the forward-facing seats with harnesses. Again, use these types of seats for as long as possible, up to the highest weight or height allowed by the car safety seat's manufacturer. This is usually until the age of 4.

School aged children

All children whose height and weight is above the forward-facing limit for their car safety seat should be using a belt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle seat belt fits properly. The magic height recommended is 4 feet 9 inches, with the child being between 8 and 12 years of age.

Older children

Those who have outgrown the child safety seats should always use the lap and shoulder seat belts outfitted in the vehicles for optimum protection.

Recommendations for all ages:

Select a car seat based on the child's age, height, weight, physical development, as well as behavioral needs.
Keep the child in the seat for as long as possible as long as they fit into the requirements for that particular seat.
All children under the age of 13 should be seated in the back seat.
Use the car seats each and every time the car is in motion.
If you need to determine if your seat is installed properly, visit the NHTSA site for the location of a Child Safety Seat Inspection Station near you.

Specific information on the types of car safety restraints, installation tips, and frequently asked questions can be accessed on the Healthy Children website.

Crashes are the leading cause of death for children from 3-14 years of age. Keeping them safe and in the most appropriate car seat possible should be our highest priority.