A new crash dummy employed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration tests the impact of side-impact crashes in a way that no crash dummy has done before. The crash dummy appears in the likeness of a 3-year-old child. It is referred to by crash testers at the NHTSA as Q3. The crash dummy is the first of its kind to be made available for use by federal traffic safety regulators. Experts say tests that include Q3 will provide regulators with information regarding the effect of side-impact crashes on children that were unattainable before its creation.
The NHTSA has also proposed upgrades to testing standards for child restraint systems in response to frontal impact accidents. The overall goal is to make testing more relative to the effect that real-world accidents have on child passengers strapped into car seats. The administration is also considering the idea of requiring car seat labels to encourage the use of rear-facing car seats until the children riding in them reach a certain height and weight.
Another proposal from the NHTSA is the addition of instructions for the effective use of child safety restraints. The administration is also researching ways it can work with manufacturers to make car seat recall information more available to parents and other adults who regularly transport children in motor vehicles.
The Secretary of Transportation adds that the new provisions from the NHTSA will work to protect and save the lives of young passengers. The Secretary says that the lives of children are valuable, and the administration she works for wants to reflect this belief through its policy additions.
A motor vehicle accident is capable of changing the lives of everyone involved in the blink of an eye. These accidents sometimes present additional dangers for the smallest passengers in the vehicles. Individuals who have suffered injuries in a motor vehicle accidents may be able to secure the compensation they deserve by partnering with a personal injury attorney.
