The American Center for Auto Safety (CAS) has analyzed a large amount of archival materials devoted to accidents involving child passengers. After studying this data, experts concluded that it is necessary to tighten requirements for the protection of minors in the back row of seats.
Currently, the organization has sent an official appeal to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), outlining proposals for both motorists and automakers. The key recommendation of experts is that a child should be placed behind a seat that is either empty or occupied by a passenger with minimal weight. This is explained by the fact that an increase in the mass of the person sitting in front directly increases the likelihood of severe or life-incompatible injuries.
As noted in CAS, parents often place a child seat behind the father-driver so that the mother can more easily look after the baby. However, from a safety point of view, such placement is far from ideal. In addition, specialists plan to get NHTSA to introduce a new regulation according to which the seat must withstand a load 20 times greater than the mass of the passenger itself. It is also proposed to oblige manufacturers to place stickers on the backs of front seats with instructions on how to choose the optimal place for installing a child seat.
