Car Seat Defects Resource Center

In frontal collisions, seat belts and air bags protect occupants by keeping the occupant in the seat and limiting dangerous contacts with the passenger cabin and debris. In rear-end impacts, the front seat’s role is to manage energy and contain the occupant in the front seating space. Weak, defective front seats, however, can fail, collapse, and cause front occupants to catapult backward into the rear of the vehicle. This creates a dangerous hazard to both the front occupant and those sitting in the back.

This online resource center is aimed at collecting some of the key documents and videos that show how defective car seats can endanger drivers’ and passengers’ lives. Click on any of the items below to read more information on topics such as child fatalities in rear impacts, or view a video about how even a common lawn chair will pass federal standards for car seat safety in America.