Carseats in car accidents

[monkeymom1013]

I was rear ended today (DS was NOT with me, I have a minor case of whiplash but other than that no major injuries) but anyways, it got me thinking about something I had heard YEARS ago about car seats needing to be replaced if they're in an acciident. I started looking around and here's what I found. I wanted to share it with everyone.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently announced a change in the recommendation on using car seats involved in a car crash. Previously, NHTSA recommended that you replace all car seats involved in car crashes, even minor ones, because you couldn’t be sure whether there was any damage to the seat. However, this was obviously expensive for parents. NHTSA decided to change the recommendation after finding that car seats generally remain safe after minor accidents.

The new recommendation is that, after a minor car crash, parents should use their own judgment in deciding whether or not their car seat was damaged and needs to be replaced. (After a severe crash, the car seat should always be replaced.)

NHTSA advises parents to use the following criteria to help decide whether the car crash could be considered minor, and whether the car seat is undamaged:

1. The vehicle could be driven away from the crash scene.
2. The vehicle door nearest the car seat was not damaged.
3. No one in the vehicle was injured.
4. The air bags (if any) did not deploy.
5. When you carefully inspect the car seat, including under the seat padding, you do not see any cracks or deformities that might have been caused by the crash.

If any of the above criteria are not met, or if you are unsure whether the car seat was damaged, contact your car insurance company about its policy regarding replacing car seats.

For more information, visit www.nhtsa.gov.

I've sent a message to a carseat saftey tech and I'll update once I hear back from her about weather I need to replace Shawn's car seat.

[harleymama30]

Aug. 27, 2008 at 2:44 AM

Glad you are ok! From what I was told, DH WAS in an accident, and it WAS a fender bender, we didn't need to replace our seats. ONLY IF we wanted too. If it were a serious accident, as in what is stated in your research, =), emergency response/law enforcement would've ripped them out right then and there. If you were/are required to go to the hospital and your child is with you, they then will supply you with seat until you can get a new one, OR if financially strapped give you the one they provided.

Still VERY glad you are OK!

[harleymama30]

Aug. 27, 2008 at 2:45 AM

PS thanks for the info!