A final rule issued by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) updates the current standard on child safety seats to include car seats and boosters for kids weighing more than 65 lb and up to 80 lb. To help evaluate the updated standard, the agency has created a new crash test dummy that will provide insight into how intact restraint systems will remain in the event of a crash.
Referred to as the "10-year-old child" dummy, NHSTA says the new addition "is the best tool currently available for measuring the risk of injury to a child using a higher-weight child restraint system in the event of a vehicle crash." In addition, the agency reports that the new dummy will help provide important information on safety seat requirements that need to remain current with new research and child restraint technologies.
A Blog From the American Society of Safety Engineers