PEDIATRICS Vol. 64 No. 6 December 1979, pp. 848-855
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Children's Car Seat Restraints: When Top-Tether Straps Are Ignored, Are These Restraints Safe?

Quentin H. McDonald BA, MA1

1 Bobby-Mac Company, lnc, Scarsdale, New York

Children's car seat restraints are impact sled-tested to evaluate their safety qualities. To determine whether these restraints can protect the child, it is necessary to test in two different ways those restraints that require a top-tether strap: (1) installed in accordance with the manufacturer's directions; and (2) installed in the manner they are actually used. In this study the five children's car seat restraints top-rated by a leading consumer organization were impact sled-tested with a top-tether strap in use. They were then tested without the top-tether strap—the way such restraints are often being used as indicated by an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety survey. In addition, two leading restraints not requiring a top-tether strap, but secured by the auto lap belt, were tested. This study shows that the five top-tethered restraints, when installed with top-tether and lap belt, and the two restraints not requiring a top-tether give good protection in a frontal crash. It also shows that, with one possible exception, the five restraints that require a top-tether strap do not provide adequate protection if the top-tether strap is not used.

Submitted on July 28, 1978
Accepted on March 7, 1979