The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will implement FMVSS 213a and FMVSS 213b this December, adding side-impact testing and other updates to U.S. child car seat standards.
Manufacturers must test child car seats for children up to 40 pounds using a simulated door intrusion to limit head contact and chest forces in side impacts. Emily A. Thomas, PhD, associate director of auto safety at Consumer Reports, said the rule aims to protect harnessed children who won't benefit from side curtain airbags.
The rules raise the minimum weight for switching from rear-facing to front-facing seats from 20 to 26.5 pounds and increase booster minimums from 30 to 40 pounds. Consumer Reports continues to recommend the center rear seat as the safest location, though many families place seats beside doors for access.
The updated standards also modernize test fixtures, require lap-and-shoulder belt and LATCH testing, and adjust crash-test dummy sizes to better reflect modern vehicles.
This report is based on information originally published by Jalopnik.
Read the full article at Jalopnik.
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