National Press Release

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J., Oct. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) issued a report today that provides their assessment of vehicle seat belt fit when using a belt-positioning booster car seat (booster car seat). The IIHS report is based on laboratory testing conducted by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI). The results are based on selected use criteria, lap and shoulder belt anchorage locations representing a wide range of vehicles, and their own rating criteria established for the purpose of this evaluation.

The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) and its members that manufacture booster car seats for the North American market have only recently become aware of the results published in the IIHS report. Copies of the report and the study that outlines the evaluation methodology and criteria were received just prior to IIHS publishing of the report.

Based on our initial review of the report and the study, we have found that the report emphasizes and rates only belt fit without weighing the effectiveness of booster seats in protecting children in crashes. The safety benefits of booster car seats in the real world crashes are well documented; however, some of the booster seats in this study have been given a "Not Recommended" rating for belt fit even though real world experience with all booster seats demonstrates that they are providing good protection in crashes. In addition to the research, JPMA is not aware of any reports of abdominal injury in crashes in booster car seats. The purpose of the study appears to be to measure seat belt fit against what are seen as optimum criteria and relating this to optimum protection; however, no crash testing was conducted as part of the study to access this data. Booster car seats are regulated by stringent design and testing requirements and the design of boosters is driven by all of the needs to achieve and optimize their performance. The dynamic performance cannot be ignored; a change in the belt fit must be evaluated for the overall effect on the performance of the booster car seat and optimized along with all of the other requirements.

We believe that the research has merit for design purposes but is limited in scope and is overly analytical. The scope of the research is limited as it only evaluates belt fit with one size test dummy and does not include the full size range of children included in the use range of the booster car seat. The research is overly analytical and precise for evaluating booster car seats in real world use as a change in belt location of 10 mm (just over 3/8 of an inch) can change a rating from good to fair, or fair to not acceptable. While this research may be insightful when working in the laboratory with a test dummy, it does not take into account and provide a fair evaluation of the real world conditions of securing a child in the rear seat of a vehicle. A review of the data reveals that the ratings are very critical with small variations affecting the ratings as noted below.

-- Lap belt fit - A change in the belt position criteria by only 10 mm (about 3/8 of an inch) would change the number of seats that are rated to provide good to fair belt fit would increase from 29 to 36 of 41. If the belt position criteria were changed by 20 mm (about 3/4 inch), all but one car seat would be classified in the good to fair fit rating.

-- Shoulder belt fit - All except two car seats evaluated provide good to fair shoulder belt fit in at least some of the test conditions represented.

JPMA and its members agree that the primary purpose of a belt positioning booster is to lift up and reposition a child so the vehicle seat belts fit better. Proper belt positioning places the lap belt low on the hips, touching the thighs and the shoulder belt centered on the chest and over the shoulder. A key aspect of providing this vehicle belt fit is to prevent submarining that can lead to abdominal injuries and spinal cord injury often referred to as "seat belt syndrome."

IIHS noted in their report, "We evaluated the safety belt fit boosters provide, not crash protection." The report also notes that real world experience has proven that current booster car seats in use, like those evaluated in the IIHS study, have reduced the risk of injury by 59% and risk of death by 28% compared to restraining children with vehicle seat belts without a booster car seat. A study conducted by the Partners for Child Passenger Safety (PCPS) published in the June 2003 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, provided real-world evidence of the safety benefits of belt-positioning booster seats compared with seat belts alone as well as demonstrated that proper positioning of the seat belt by booster seats virtually eliminates injuries associated with seat belt syndrome, including injuries to the abdomen and spine. On-going evaluations continue to demonstrate the positive effects of booster seats in crashes.

As seen with adults, the fit of a seat belt varies for the adult from vehicle to vehicle and vary in different seating positions within the same vehicle. Booster car seat manufacturers recognize that there is a wide variation in vehicle seats and seat belt systems that can affect the belt fit with the booster and the child. Not all combinations of vehicle seats, seat belts, booster car seats and children work to compliment each other providing proper seat belt fit for the child. Car seat manufacturers instruct and focus parents on proper vehicle seat belt fit advising them to check the vehicle belt fit as part of securing the child in the booster car seat. This instruction includes positioning the lap belt low on the hips, touching the thighs and the shoulder belt centered on the chest and over the shoulder. Parents are also advised that if the vehicle seat belt does not properly fit the child to move the car seat to a different seating location or not to use the booster car seat with that particular vehicle.

Real world experience has demonstrated the safety benefits of booster car seats and research like that conducted by IIHS and UMTRI can provide tools to evaluate and optimize already good performing designs. However the ranking of booster car seats and classifying some as "not recommended" based on minor belt position variations that are not realistic in day-to-day use of a booster car seat is not appropriate. A "not recommended" rating does not mean an unsafe product but instead indicates the seat belt is not optimally positioned per the evaluation criteria established by IIHS and UMTRI. Basing the "not recommended" rating only on optimum belt fit and ignoring the positive crash protection afforded by boosters is very short sighted. A "not recommended" rating for booster seats that have demonstrated a very positive reduction in the risk of injury in real world crashes is counterproductive as it can lead to consumer confusion, loss of confidence in the product and ultimately a reduction in use rates.

JPMA and the car seat manufacturers urge IIHS to reassess the ratings published and balance them with real world experience, emphasize that booster car seats have proven to be effective, and work with the industry to further evaluate procedure they have developed.

Website: www.jpma.org

SOURCE Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association, Inc.