The Fundamentals
What Happens in a Crash
1c - How Child Safety Seats Work
The goal is to allow the child to slow down over a longer period of time than the car. This is referred to as "riding down the crash." The vehicle’s occupant protection systems do this well but they are designed for adults. Not only do children not fit correctly, but there are several additional considerations for infants. What is common amongst all car seats is that "tight" is very important and the most common mistake. There are two considerations for tight. There is "the seat must be installed tight" and "your child’s harness must be tight."
With the seat, tight is important because if the seat is loose at the time of impact, instead of the child starting to slow down the seat will keep moving at the original speed of the car until the seat gets to the end of the slack. At this point the seat (and the child in the seat) will get a "sudden stop." If the seat belt or the LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) system is properly tightened, at the point of impact the riding down the crash process can start and the child will be better protected.
With the harness it’s a little different. For forward-facing seats the concept is the same. The harness needs to be tight at the point of crash impact. If it’s not, the child will continue to move, and when it reaches the end of the slack, it will still feel a sudden stop. With it tight, at the point of crash impact the riding down the crash process can begin. However, in a rear-facing seat, the harness's primary job is to keep the child in the seat and in proper position. The back of the seat takes the load of the child. During the crash the plastic shell stretches and deforms absorbing the energy. In doing this, the child is slowed over a longer period of time and rides down the crash. Note: If your child safety seat has been involved in a serious crash – replace it! If it was a minor crash and your unsure of the condition of the seat, do not use the seat until you have contacted the manufacuter for advice.
Booster seats do something different altogether. There is no harness system and the seat is not installed using a seatbelt or LATCH. The booster’s job is simply to position the child so that the vehicle's seatbelt system can protect him or her properly.
| Copyright © 2008 MyCarSeat.com | |
| Previous: | 1b - How Occupant Protection Systems Work |
| Next: | 2a - The Basics of Child Safety Seats - Infant Seats |
| Back to The Fundamentals Directory | |