In an effort to keep readers informed as to the various responses around the industry here's a link to the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association's response to the Tribune article. It's a PDF file so you may need to download Adobe Reader to view it. We've including the content below.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, March 2, 2009
JPMA Responds to Chicago Tribune Article on Infant Child Restraints
MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. – The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA), which represents the leading manufacturers of infant child restraints in North America, disputes the recent findings of the Chicago Tribune about the performance of infant child restraints in New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) 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, Jr., CAE, 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.”
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), which are more severe than 98% of the real world crashes. In addition, all child restraints sold in the United States are certified by their manufacturers as compliant before they can be offered for sale. Manufacturers conduct extensive testing on their child restraints, using both in-house and independent testing laboratories, both for the purpose of assuring compliance before marketing their products and to confirm continuing compliance during production. The Government also independently tests child restraints every year to ensure compliance with its standards.
According to NHTSA, “Every single child seat on the market today meets our rigorous safety standards, without exception. Our standards mean that each and every child seat on the market must withstand a crash test that replicates the forces found in nearly 99 percent of all crashes involving infants.”
NHTSA has determined that “child restraints are highly effective in reducing the likelihood of death and or serious injury in motor vehicle crashes.” NHTSA studies show that for infants, (children under the age of one), 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.
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.”
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.”
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 a 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 recent Chicago Tribune article about the performance of infant child restraints in NCAP crash tests has raised questions about the protection afforded by child restraints and has made claims that are simply not accurate. Real world experience with child restraints has repeatedly shown that no other product is more effective at reducing fatalities and injuries to children. The fact remains that child restraints are highly effective at reducing death and serious injury in the real world. Greater use of these demonstrably life saving seats should be promoted, not discouraged.
For more information on child restraint use and for tips on how to keep baby safe, please visit the JPMA Web site, www.jpma.org.
The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association is a national trade organization of more than 300 companies in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. JPMA exists to advance the interests, growth, and well-being of North American prenatal to preschool product manufacturers,importers, and distributors marketing under their own brands to consumers. It does so through advocacy, public relations, information sharing, product performance certification, and business development assistance conducted with appreciation for the needs of parents, children, and retailers.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Yarissa Reyes
Communications Manager
(856) 642-4420
yreyes@ahint.com
Comments