Car accidents are dangerous no matter who’s involved. But for children, the risks are even greater due to their smaller size. That’s why infant and children’s car seats are so important. They’re supposed to protect children from injuries and keep them safe from harm.
Unfortunately, as we discussed in the past, current car seat testing is insufficient and it’s unclear whether children’s car seats are doing their job. And, now it seems that not only are there problems with car seats, but children’s booster seats are also failing to protect children from harm.
An insurance industry group recently conducted a study of booster seats to determine how safe they really were. The results did not bode well for the safety of our children. According to a Poughkeepsie Journal article:
Half of children’s car booster seats can’t ensure a proper fit with all safety belts, an insurance industry-funded safety group says in a report out today.The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said six were so bad that it recommended parents avoid them…
Although IIHS says booster seats have improved in the three years it has been testing them, it is concerned that those requiring parents to check the fit still outnumber the good ones. Of 83 seats tested, 41 got a “check fit” rating because they don’t consistently fit well with belts and 37 were rated “best bets” or “good bets” by IIHS
The 6 booster seats that failed to meet the Institute for Highway Safety’s standards are: the Evenflo Chase, Express, Generations 65 and Sightseer models and Safety 1st’s All-in-One and Alpha Omega Elite. Parents should check the booster seats currently being used by their children to ensure that they’re not using those particular seats.
Safe car seats for children are so important and it’s disturbing that so many car seats on the market simply don’t protect children from serious injuries the way that they’re supposed to. This is especially upsetting since children are so vulnerable to serious injuries if involved in a car accident. Our kids deserve the best protection possible, and in many cases, they’re simply not getting it.
Howard Ankin of Ankin Law (www.ankinlaw.com) handles workers’ compensation and personal injury cases. Mr. Ankin can be reached at (312) 600-0000 and howard@ankinlaw.com.