A congressional investigation is raising serious concerns about the safety of some popular children's car booster seats. "CBS This Morning" has obtained new crash test videos uncovered in that probe. Kris Van Cleave reports.
Let's be honest, most of these car seats don't give parents much relief from day one. They appear to be nothing more than a hard plastic covered in ultra thin sponge and cloth. There's little to no support, but we use them because it's the law and it's maybe a step above not having anything in place at all. The auto industry goes to great lengths annually to test, review and upgrade the safety standards of their vehicles, while our children's car seats continue to be mass produced with little to no changes in over 20 years.
The poor little girl who was internally decapitated was 37 lbs and they say wait until they are at least 40 lbs but I don't think if that little girl had been 3 lbs more that the same thing wouldn't have happened. 3 lbs wouldn't have saved her from that happening I don't think.
Exactly. 40 pounds is still not a good minimum to set. Children need to be rear faced for as long as possible and then harnessed forward facing for as long as possible. My daughter is tiny for her age, she probably won't be in a booster seat til she is 7 or 8 years old.
So glad you saw this video first! My son just turned 7 still have him in the 5 point harness he's tiny I can't imagine him being in a seatbelt just yet!
Let’s be real all booster seats are not safe. Make a 5 point harness that can hold a older child. I as a parent will spend the extra money. My 7 yr old is still in a high back booster.. and still I don’t feel she isn’t as safe as she could be with a harness. However harness seats are not reliable for older heavier children.
@@RMCthrills Highest harness on a Pria 85 is 17” (torso height). This is pretty average so unless your child is short and heavy it won’t work in the long run. Britax One4Life goes up to 65lb and has a 19” harness height. It’s the only car seat that worked for my tall 4yo.
Thank you so much for making this news. Not a lot of parents know or understand. I've watched plenty of independent crash videos before picking out a car seat for my kids.
Thank you for putting this information out. As a mother of 3 I had no clue this was being investigated! Thank you to our congressional leaders for pushing for federal regulations!
how about we find a way to modify the seat belts for the kids too big for the safety seats, everyone of those crashes showed the child's shoulder slipping out from under that belt.
Everyone please take these car seats seriously. I only buy diono as they made of steel frame.. I was just in a head on collision. . My kids literally came out with nothing they are 4 years 31 pounds 5 years 36 pounds and 9 year 67 pounds. All in carseats my 9 year old is in a booster and she's the only one you got more hurt. As the other 2 its a miracle. But I wouldn't put them in booster they will keep using 5 point harness until they can't fit than I'll transition.... parents please take this serious
This is exactly why I pushed my parents to keep my tall and skinny & 7 year old sister in a five point harness. When I told her the reason she immediately agreed with me. Thank goodness!
Gesh,yeah, I definitely appreciate this video, I've been shopping for a booster seat for my 7 year old, grandma had gotten a booster seat without a back that my son occasionally uses when he stays with her,and he loves it. Ive been hesitant on getting one for our main saftey seat in my car. I knew there was a reason why i didn't like the idea of a booster seat. My kiddo is on the smaller size being 7 years old,but he is about 49 lbs, but I still don't think I'll switch to a seat without the 5 point harness and high back.
My son just turned 5 and I had him rear facing until almost 5. I dismissed comments poking fun of my decision to extend rear face, including family members. Don't care, as long as my son is safe. I also invested in two of the best brands out there for car seats - Clek and Nuna, which allowed me to extend rear face.
I am amazed that people do RU-vid reviews for the companies involved in this scandal and never mention the scandal at all. There are also endless websites recommending seats from these companies in "best of" lists. I'm sorry, but that's enough for me to permanently lose trust in an information source. Millions of parents think that they're dealing with honest companies and give their money to these money grubbing sociopaths
While these comments are important. Consumers must make sure the weight requirements are met before securing a child in one of the booster seats. Many people never read the INSTRUCTIONAL MANUEL, I'm guilty of that. For many things people buy even cell phones, they don't read the manuals which can be very harmful. Anyway, after seeing this video I went back and read my manual and I realized there were several things I did not do. One secure the booster with the anchors to the vehicle to prevent it from moving, I did not really adjust the headrest to the child's head nor made sure the seat belt was firmly secured and locked across the torso. I will make sure before I drive off to check all these points. People get in a hurry and put the child in the seat door side which is more convenient. I know more than one child is different. I'm saddened for the child that got hurt but she got hit on the impact side, the other child did not. They did not mention that. I get it makes better seats but there was a fallacy in that part of the video. Oh, "food for thought", and don't leave your child strapped in the hot car. :'0(
My 6 year old is 32 pounds, and she has a booster in one car and still a five point harness in the other car. They need to make boosters that are safe for 30 pound children. My child won’t be 40 pounds until she’s 8 or 9 years old, and she certainly can’t stay in a toddler seat until then.
Some people don’t know any better. A good bit of people throw their kid in a seat, buckle, and leave the straps loose af. At that point it’s not for safety. It’s just because it’s the law to have the kid in a kid seat.
@@veniqe nope. She’s just petite. She’s in the first percentile. As her doctor says, someone has to be in the first percentile, just like someone has to be 99th percentile. It’s genetics.
There’s no better car seat then @Diono we have 2 daughters 9 and 5 and they love their car seats!! They’re a bit pricey but there is no price on protecting my daughters. Diono is a 🇺🇸 company!! Recaro seats are great too
this is why it’s SO important to rear face for as long as possible. a child can be internally decapitated in a forward facing five point harnesses too. so many seats will rear face to 50 lbs now. it’s the safest way to travel. period.
@@IC.XC.NI.KA. “In a true side impact crash (one with forces that are purely lateral (perpendicular) to the side of the car seat), there will be no statistically significant difference, however, that type of impact is not very common. More commonly, side impact collisions have some frontal forces, meaning they are actually frontal-offset. For this reason, rear-facing children are also significantly safer in side-impact collisions compared to forward-facing children.”
Excellent information. Another point: Consumers are not informed that if they use an expired car seat or booster seat, many car insurance companies will not cover injuries. Also, if a car seat is in an accident, even if it is not damaged, the car seat must be junked and must be replaced. Why is this information NOT SHARED with consumers?!
My Graco manuals mention it (as i think the other brand did too). Seat is about 5 years old. I think the problem is parents/caregivers are NOT Fully reading the Car Seat Manuals like they should…
Booster seats and a regular seat belt are fine, if they are designed well. I recommend getting one with a LATCH system, that way the seat stays in place as well as getting one from a brand that does severe safety testing
The problem is they have to eventually get out of the 5 point harness.. they outgrow them. I'm surprised your 10 yr old hasn't passed the height and weight limit for it yet. My 8 yr old is right at the height and weight limit and he's smaller for his age. Doesn't matter if it's a 5 point harness if they are past the height and weight limit it becomes unsafe.
I don’t understand why she is listed, as there are huge size differences between kids. Which seat to use should have nothing to do with whether my my is 4 or 5 or 6; physics doesn’t care about age. It should only be weight and height. (Except maybe the baby seats).
@@peppermintpatty3800the cheapest toddler car seats at both Walmart and target go up to 40lb rear facing. If you have 200$ there’s a Diono one that has a 50lb rear facing limit and lasts the kid from birth to a 120lb (basically till they don’t need one)
Thank you so much for this investigation! I'm currently shopping for a car seat for my kids. I'll possibly buy the Britax Advocate ClickTight and use the 5point harness all the way until 7yrs.
STOP PUTTING YOUR 4,5,6, & 7 YEAR OLDS IN BOOSTER SEATS!!! IT’S NOT SAFE!!! If you can’t be bothered to invest in a carseat that can grow with your child fir a 5pt harness, you don’t deserve to be a parent!
I have a Graco slimfit and my 7 year old finally maxed out, basically equally, the height and weight for FF-Harness. I’m a bit sad having to move to booster mode now. Race car drivers and ‘intense’ amusement park rides require a harness. My solace is the fact that my kid doesn’t go in a car much, and i usually drive the speed limit or under.
Don’t boosters need a top tether to avoid them from moving? Most cars have the hooks. Would that change this experiment? Just curious. All the boosters looked like they were only hooked at the bottom and flailing around at the top.
They don’t have anything to keep the head side save. My daughter bought a diono Monterey car booster, and to me is not good. The head part moves to the side when I am driving. Why they sell them.
My daughter is 5, 63lbs, and tall enough to ride all the rides at theme parks. She is still in a five point harness. I’m now researching the best booster seats and seeing the Chicco in the lineup here makes my heart drop.
My son is 6 and 48 pounds. He is tall and thin. I'm looking for a harness booster seat. People ask me all the time why he is still in a carseat. He will be in a harness until I can no long find any that fit his weight and height.
@@bec504 A lot of 6 year olds are still in car seats. I mean I know 5-6 is the typical transition age to a booster but I wouldn't think he's the only one?
It’s been proven *again* since 2020 that government involvement isn’t the answer. What we should be expecting is companies being honest and forthcoming with their safety data and studies. And when they hide anything - then they should be held fully accountable. The answer is not “government”, it’s accountability. And we sorely lack holding these people/companies accountable. This family was given money... but did an6 of those employees go to prison? Of course not, but they should have.