Child Safety Seats Are Getting Safer Which Is Good News If You Ever Get Into A New Haven Auto Accident

For many years safety advocates have been calling on the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to amend it’s testing rules for child safety seats and the agency has now done just that.  The updated rules for testing, detailed below, should have a tremendous affect on the safety of children who get into New Haven auto accidents that are commonly referred to as T-bone accidents.

The new rules put into place require that when testing a child safety seat, the manufacturer must test both a head on collision as well as a side-impact accident, often referred to as a T-bone accident.  In the past, manufacturers were only required to test a collision that was head on at a speed of 30 mph.  The new testing requirements will make it so that car seat manufactures will need to test the car seats in both head on collisions at 30 mph as well as side-impact crashes at 30 mph.

These rules not only require testing for side-impact but they also introduce a new crash test dummy that mimics that body of a 3-year old which is a new test.  This will fall in line with the already in place crash test dummy that mimics the body of a 12-month old.  Testing on both ages of children will add a layer of safety to these car seats that has not been there in the past.

When choosing a car seat for your child you can use the NHTSA’s website to enter in your child’s vital information and the tool will give you suggestions for the best car seat for your child’s age, weight, and height.  Click here to start using this tool now.

The state of Connecticut has some of the safest car seat rules in the country and the limits vary based on your child’s weight and age, generally speaking.  To keep your child safe in the event of a New Haven auto accident you should follow all state and local guidance on child safety seats and always drive at the speed limit to reduce the risk of getting into an accident in the first place.

Whether your child is injured or it is you that has been injured in an accident you may need to seek legal representation.  Contact our office and one of our experienced attorneys will review your case and work with you help protect your long-term interests.