JPMA responds to Consumer Reports car seat article

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JPMA Responds to Consumer Reports' Testing of Infant Car Seats
News Archive

January 4, 2007

The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA), which represents the leading manufacturers of infant child restraints in the United States, questions the forthcoming findings of Consumer Reports magazine about the performance of infant child restraints in recent crash tests. In the real world, no product is more effective at reducing fatalities and injuries to our precious children.

“Child restraints are highly effective safety devices that have saved thousands of children’s lives in car crashes,” said Robert Waller, JPMA President. “Their use is required throughout the nation, because they are so effective at reducing injury to children. It is irresponsible to suggest that infant child restraints may not perform well in crashes.”

Moreover, the crash test results and protocols have not previously been shared with the industry or government for proper evaluation. The scientific validity of Consumer Reports’ conclusions is highly questionable. Most infants and toddlers under 4 years of age are being transported in vehicles with child restraint seats. Research has proven time and again that these seats are highly effective at reducing the likelihood of death by more than 70%. These seats are considerably more effective than adult safety belts. The bigger issue affecting the potential for injury or death is non-use of such seats. Too many infants and especially older children ride unrestrained in motor vehicles.

All child restraints sold in the United States are required to satisfy the rigorous performance standards established by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and are certified by their manufacturers as compliant before they can be offered for sale. Manufacturers extensively test their child restraints, using both in-house and independent test laboratories, both for the purpose of assuring compliance before marketing the products and to confirm continuing compliance during production. The Government also independently tests child restraints every year to ensure compliance with its standards.

NHTSA has determined that “child restraints are highly effective in reducing the likelihood of death and or serious injury in motor vehicle crashes.” 68 Fed.Reg. 37620, 37622 (June 24, 2003). NHTSA studies show that for infants (children less than one year old), a child restraint can reduce the risk of fatality by 71 percent when used in a passenger car and by 58 percent when used in a light truck, van or SUV. 68 Fed.Reg. at 37622.

NHTSA has noted that an increase in severity of speed would require redesign of many child restraints and increase their cost and availability “without a proportionate safety benefit” 68 Fed. Reg. at 37640.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has confirmed that “child restraints designed to pass the current 30 mph standard are providing very good protection to children in frontal crashes, and there is no evidence suggesting that designing child restraints to withstand higher crash forces could have prevented or mitigated any of the serious or fatal injuries in cases studied by the Institute”. NHTSA Docket 11707, Entry 31.

The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) also advised that the 30 mph sled test is “more severe than approximately 98% of the frontal impact crashes nationwide.” UMTRI cautioned against increasing the speed of the test, noting:

“Increasing the velocity of the test is not likely to increase safety, but will increase consumer cost of child restraint systems. In addition, designing child restraints to pass a test at higher crash severity may lead to child restraint design changes that make the restraints less effective or more easily misused at lower severity crashes, which occur much more frequently.” NHTSA Docket 11707, Entry 43.

As noted by these and other experts, there is no evidence that infant child restraints would protect children better in real world crashes if they were designed to meet a crash test conducted at higher speed. Moreover, design changes needed to meet a higher crash speed may result in designs that are less effective in lower speed collisions, or harder to install properly, leading to decreased safety in the vast majority of crashes. The fact remains that child restraints are highly effective at reducing death and serious injury in the real world. To the extent that the Consumer Reports story undermines confidence in use of these restraints it does the public a disservice. Greater use of these demonstrably life saving seats should be promoted, not discouraged. Ultimately, better performance of vehicles in all crash situations will provide the greatest commensurate benefit for all vehicle occupants.

http://www.jpma.org/index2.cfm?secti...arSeatResponse