Not good news for parents here, as they are thinking that their child is safe buckled up in a car safety seat. The magazine tested 12 car seats and they found that 10 didn't provide adequate protection. The good news here is that CR states that any car seat is better than no car seat. These car seats have already passed the federal government crash tests, which are conducted from the front at 30 miles per hour...
However, Consumer Reports, tested the seats with the same standards the government uses in testing vehicles—for front crashes at 35 miles per hour and for side crashes at 38 miles per hour. At those higher speeds, CR found, rear-facing infant seats flew off their bases or twisted violently upon impact, in one case hurling the dummy 30 feet from the car.
Not very encouraging...
Full story here.
Not very encouraging...
Full story here.
billt9 says:
04:54 PM, 01/ 5/07
The debate in the video... more to come i guess.
From this article it's hard to tell how Consumer Reports installed the seats. It could be possible Consumer Reports installed all the seats in correctly.
Like reading all articles in general, keep a doubt about whether the testers read the manual... =D
billt9 says:
04:55 PM, 01/ 5/07
I mean installed all the seats INCorrectly.
billt9 says:
06:13 PM, 01/ 5/07
"Consumer Reports suggests securing the infant car-seat in the center-rear position of the vehicle's back seat. "
Yet, as I happen to read the 2007 Nissan Altima's manual,
"The LATCH anchor points are provided to install
child restraints in the rear outboard seating positions
only. Do not attempt to install a child restraint
in the center position using the LATCH anchors."
Either the CNN staff writer doesn't read carefully (which is very often when CNN staff attempts to write technical news), or Consumer Reports doesn't read manuals either.
researchqueen says:
09:15 AM, 01/ 8/07
I'm not sure anyone out there is reading correctly.
Consumer Reports noted that the middle rear seat is generally the safest (thinking about side impact crashes), but notes that a lot of center seats don't have LATCH connectors. Part of the reason for this is because the center seat is often too narrow for a safety seat to fit, or it is convex in shape, which means it won't provide a flat surface to attach the carseat to.
Also note that this testwas for the kind of infant seat that works with base that stays in the car, while the carrier can be removed for carrying the baby. I don't believe that the horrific results of this test apply to the kind of rear-facing car seat that stays permanently in the car. Lots of people like the carrier type because it allows you to carry the baby from car to home, etc., without waking the sleeping child. If you're willing to put the baby from a seat into a stroller, this issue won'f affect you.
Also, read this: “The Federal Government’s research shows that infant seats are highly effective, reducing fatal injuries to infants by 71 percent in passenger cars and by 59 percent in pickup trucks, minivans and SUVs,” said ACTS president Phil Haseltine. “While product testing is important, the ultimate test of a safety device is how it performs in a real-world crash.”