LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is hoping to make changes that could keep your child safe in a car seat.
NHTSA introduced a new crash test dummy that is the first child side-impact dummy in federal regulations. It was specifically designed for testing child seats in side-impact crash tests. Click here for the final rule.
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NHTSA is also proposing numerous upgrades, including one that could require labels on car seats to encourage parents to keep their children in rear-facing child seats until they outgrow the rear-facing height and weight limits of the seat. Click here to view the notice.
13 Action News spoke with a Las Vegas valley organization, Safe Kids Clark County, about what you can do right now to keep your kids safe in cars. Jeanne Marsala, RN, agrees with NHTSA and says it's safer to keep kids rear-facing for as long as possible.
"What we're protecting is the head, neck, and spine," said Marsala.
She says even though it's legal to switch your child to a forward-facing car seat after they turn one, she suggests your keep your child rear-facing until at least age 2.
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She also suggests you have your car seat checked by a trained technician since so many car seats are installed incorrectly. Safe Kids Clark County is holding free events at local hospitals.
Or you can visit seatcheck.org to enter your zip code and find a trained technician near you.
