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Most parents are aware of how important child safety is when it comes to riding in the car. Motor vehicle crashes have long been reported as one of the leading causes of death for children. In 2021 alone, more than 700 children under the age of 12 were killed as passengers in car accident. And in 2020, more than 60,000 were injured.
For this reason, there are strict laws and regulations concerning children and car seats. However, even if you follow proper protocols and your child is safely secured, they can still get hurt.
In recent years, concerns regarding seatback collapses have risen as a result of serious and even fatal child injuries occurring. While the children in these reports were properly secured, they still suffered serious injuries. This is because the flaw is not in how the child was secured. Rather it’s an issue with the strength of the front seats and how they are compromised in rear-end collisions.
The Dangers of Seatback Failures for Children
Seatback failure is something that occurs when an occupied front seat breaks and collapses backward after a rear-end collision.
Over the years, numerous reports of seatback failures have occurred, leading CBS to conduct its own investigation. During their six-year investigation, they found more than 100 car accidents in the past 30 years have resulted in seatback collapses that injured or killed children who were seated in the back seats.
One incident in particular involved two parents and their four-year-old son. They were driving home from their son’s birthday party when their 2012 Honda Fit was rear-ended. The father’s seat then collapsed backward, striking their son in the head, which resulted in severe brain trauma.
Another incident involved a 12-year-old nearly dying in a Thanksgiving crash when her father’s drivers seat slammed backward onto her, causing a 360-degree fracture around her head.
A similar report shows another incident where a rear-end accident caused a father’s seat to collapse back, striking his 16-month-old daughter in the face. She eventually died from her injuries.
What is Being Done to Improve Seatback Collapse Safety Issues?
Seatback failure is something that has been occurring for many years. It has only gained attention in recent years due to investigative news reports. Autosafety.org shows knowledge of seatback failures dating back to the 1960s.
In November 2023, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) was set to draft a number of new safety regulations to address the seatback failure issue. But they missed their deadline. It has now been over five months since they first made the proposal to strengthen vehicle seats.
As of now, the new proposed regulations remain in a “pre-rule” stage and have been stalled. According to CBS news reports, NHTSA deputy administrator Sophie Shulman said there are currently no updates on the proposed regulations, but they are still in development.
How to Protect Your Child From Seatback Collapse
While the government and the NHTSA are still going back and forth on these regulations, it’s important for parents to be proactive about protecting their children. We’ve put together a couple of tips that you can follow to help:
1. Avoid being rear ended
First, if these seatback collapses occur in rear end collisions, how do you avoid them?
Rear-end collisions accounted for 32.5% of all motor vehicle collisions in 2019, according to NHTSA. But there are some things you can do to prevent being hit from behind.
- While driving:
- Leave space between you and the car in front of you
- Look well ahead beyond the car in front of you
- Do you best to not get blocked in so you have room to maneuver, if needed
- Use your signals
- When stopping/stopped:
- Brake slowly leaving room to progress to a stop instead of slamming on your brakes
- Leave space between you and the car in front of you, in case you need to move up or out of the way as the car behind you comes up to you
- Check your mirrors to help you anticipate what the drivers behind you are doing
- Check your signal lights and brake lights every so often to make sure they are working properly
2. Choose the Right Car Seat
Always check that your child is properly secured and in the appropriate child restraint system based on their age, weight, and height. If you need assistance, we have a helpful car seat safety guide that you can follow.
Download our report: Common Car Seat Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Beyond properly restraining your child, placing your child in the back middle seat is recommended. Medical studies and the CDC both state the middle back seat is safest. It is clear of any front seats that might collapse. And the middle seat gives more space between the child and a potential side impact crash.
If you have more than one child, the most protected child should be placed behind the front seat. For instance, compared to a forward-facing child, a child in a rear-facing car seat may have added protection, as the back of their car seat may prevent them from being injured by a collapsing front seat. If you have to place a child behind a front seat, it is also best to place them behind a passenger seat which is less likely to always be occupied and therefore less likely to collapse.
A third row seat is also a good option.
3. Be Prepared
In addition to placing your child in the middle seat if possible, you should also carry certain items in your car to be prepared for an emergency. Should an accident occur and your child be injured, for example, having a first aid kit on hand can be incredibly helpful. Other items that can help in case of an accident can include flares, a flashlight, blankets, and a mobile charger. You never know where you will be when an accident occurs, so having these safety items can help.
You shouldn’t attempt to move your child in case they have suffered a spinal cord or neck injury. But you can use supplies in a first aid kit to help stop bleeding. Severe blood loss can often contribute to death in car accident injuries, so having a kit on hand can help until emergency medical responders arrive.
4. Check Your Insurance
As indicated by the CBS reports above, severe head, facial, and brain injuries are common in seatback collapse incidents. Care for these kinds of injuries can get expensive. How much you have to end up paying out-of-pocket will depend on your insurance coverage and if the surgery is elective or non-elective.
If your child is seriously injured, it’s important to make sure you are financially prepared to afford any major or minor surgeries they might need. When your child has sustained a life-threatening injury, the last thing you want to be worried about is if you can afford the life-saving care they need.
In most cases, if your child is injured in a car accident and requires emergency surgery, it will be counted as non-elective, meaning it is necessary and is more likely to be covered or at least partially covered depending on your policy. Your copay and deductible for your insurance will also play a role in how much you pay.
You want enough coverage to help you get through the worst imaginable situations, then hope you never actually need it.
Wrapping Up
It’s important to be as prepared as possible should your child get hurt in a car accident. Though seatback collapse is scary and poses a serious threat, you can potentially mitigate the damage by being proactive. Place your child in the middle back seat or behind an unoccupied front seat if possible, ensure you have emergency supplies on hand, and check that you have adequate insurance in case surgery is needed.
Guest post: Ainsley Lawrence is a freelance writer who lives in the Northwest region of the United States. She has a particular interest in covering topics related to good health, balanced life, and better living through technology. When not writing, her free time is spent reading and researching to learn more about her cultural and environmental surroundings.
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