New Dummy Reducing Risks of Injuries in Car Accidents in Chicago and Elsewhere

Chicago child injury attorneys at Abels & Annes often handle cases where kids have been hurt in traffic collisions.

A new crash test dummy is hitting the market and it’s being used to help keep your child safe in the event of a car accident in Chicago and elsewhere. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the new dummy is being used to test all of the new booster seats and car seats for kids who weigh more than 65 pounds. The new kid dummy represents a 10-year-old child and it is the newest edition to the NHTSA’s family of crash test dummies. It’s the best and most accurate tool available for testing child seats and for assessing the risk of injury among children who use higher-weight child car seat systems.”It’s good news that manufacturers are making more car seats and boosters than ever before,” said the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Secretary, Ray LaHood.

Child car seats are always changing to meet consumers’ needs. It’s more important now more than ever to make sure that safety regulators have the most advanced tools to help them to evaluate just how well these seats are going to work in the event of an accident. The new child dummy really is breakthrough technology for the DOT’s crash test program. Officials see this new addition as a giant step forward in helping them to better evaluate the performance of child car seats.

The new dummy was created to help make sure that child seats are meeting the newly updated child car seat requirements. It will also be able to provide brand new information regarding the specific risks for injury using knee and head excursions and even chest acceleration.

According to the final rule that was recently issued by the NHTSA, the new federal car seat standards will include booster seats and kid car seats for children who are more than 65 pounds and less than 80 pounds. The new standard will also be used to test how well these new kid car seats will deal with collision energy and whether or not the seat’s structure will stay intact when the dummy is used.

Car seat manufacturers will be allowed 24 months to certify their higher-weight car and booster seat to meet the new requirements.

Even though the new dummy is a huge step in the journey to better child protection in the event of an accident, David Strickland of the NHTSA says that the Administration is already trying to take the next step it can take to better protect these young passengers.

Remember that none of these tests and none of these newly designed seats will help you to protect your child in the event of an accident if they’re not used correctly. Buckle up your little passenger during every car ride!

If you, your child or someone else in your family has been injured in car accident, the Illinois personal injury lawyers and wrongful death attorneys at Abels & Annes offer free and confidential appointments to discuss your case. Call (866) 99-ABELS. There is no fee unless you win.

Additional Resources:

Crash test dummy unveiled for larger children, by Mike M. Ahlers, CNN
More Blog Entries:

Child Passenger Safety Week Kicks Off to Help Save Children in Illinois Car Accidents, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, September 24, 2011

The IIHS Releases its New Ratings for Booster Seats and their Protection during Car Accidents in Chicago and Elsewhere, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, November 3, 2011

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