Wednesday, September 01, 1999
New rules on car seats begin today
Child safety is the goal
BY GLEN JOHNSON
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Child car seats take on a new look starting today, when stricter head protection standards take effect. That means most seats will come equipped with a tether that anchors the top of the seat more securely so children move less in a crash.
The change is the first phase of a three-year federal plan to create a universal, easy-to-use child seating system. The goal is to eliminate the confusion among parents that results in incorrect installation of up to 80 percent of car seats.
Parents should not abandon the hundreds of thousands of child seats already in use. Manufacturers are offering kits to add the tethers and new attachment points to existing seats and cars.
“This system will make child restraints safer, simpler and more secure,” said Dr. Ricardo Martinez, head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the federal agency issuing the new regulations.
Starting today, the safety administration is requiring that automakers do their part by beginning to equip new cars with anchor points for the top tethers.
By Sept. 1, 2002, car seat makers must also add two more straps to attach the seat bottom to a car without using its seat belt system.
Car accidents are the leading killer of children ages 14 and under. With dozens of seats being offered to protect infants and toddlers, parents have been frustrated by the difficulty of finding the right one for their vehicles.
Autos also come with a wide variety of seats and seat belt designs, adding to the confusion.
Child seats now cost from $40 to $220. The safety administration estimated that a universal system would increase the cost by $10 to $65 per seat.
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