Safety Agency Moves to Give Children Greater Protection in Side Impact Crashes

Car seats are supposed to protect children but just how safe are they? A new report in the Associated Press states the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, is seeking an upgrade in standards that apply to car seats to help protect children from side-impact crashes.

The beefing up of the safety regime would entail an upgrade in standards of child seats for children weighing up to 40 pounds.

Under the new proposal, enhanced crash tests would simulate a “T-bone” crash in which the front of a vehicle traveling 30 mph strikes the side of a small passenger vehicle traveling at 15 mph. Often as a Newport News children’s accident injury lawyer, I see kids hurt at these speeds. There’s no doubt about the fact seats could give additional protection.

Officials say research shows that most child deaths and injuries in side-impact crashes involve a car that is stopped at an intersection, usually at a light or stop sign, with children on board. Intersections like those on Jefferson Avenue in Newport News see many accidents with injuries.

The NHTSA says the new standards could prevent the deaths of about five children and injuries to 64 others each year.

Just one child being killed in these kinds of accident, is one too many and this move is to be welcomed. I was pleased to see the NHTSA plans a wider range of tests. As well as using a model of a 12-month-old child that is already approved under NHTSA standards, the proposed testing would also use a dummy representing a 3-year-old child.

If your child has been injured in a car crash, call our Newport News personal injury lawyers at 757.455.0077. We have a client meeting location in the Oyster Point area of Newport News. See Cooperhurley.com