Precious Cargo: Promote Child Safety

By Arthur W. Hoffmann

Precious Cargo is a term safety advocates use to describe helpless children who are at
risk when riding in automobiles. These fragile passengers are dependent upon parents
and caregivers to protect them and ensure their wellbeing. Motor vehicle crashes claim
thousands of child fatalities and debilitating injuries every year. Unrestrained children are
at the greatest risk of death and serious injury. Use of Child Restraint Systems is essential
to protect your loved ones.
The author reviews the historical basis of child car seats and the evolution of child safety
restraints to date. Child restraint systems have a proven record of saving the
lives of numerous children, and reducing serious injury of thousands of
others. However, it has been a rocky road.
Current child seats are effective when used correctly but misuse;
confusion, and product recalls have tainted the industry. Progress
toward advancing child safety has stalled; with little progress over
the past 40 years. Obsolete and ineffective testing methodology
needs to be corrected to advance the state-of-art.
The Car companies are not involved in child restraint design,
crash testing or vehicle installation problems. The National
Highway Traffic safety Administration (NHTSA)
oversight has been negligent and ineffective in
advancing child safety technology.
Cooperation between car companies, child seat
manufacturers, NHTSA, and concerned safety
advocates as the way-forward to advancing
child safety is presented.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: May 27, 2011
• ISBN: 9781462014545

Arthur W. Hoffmann

Arthur W. Hoffmann, Ed.D,P.E., is a registered Professional engineer who eas engaged in the development of automotive safety design and standards since the early 1960's. Dr. hoffmann developed the first "child safety seat" for General Motors, which was marketed as the GM Love Seat. He is the CEO of TEAM Resources, Inc., founded in 1989. The author holds several U.S. automotive patents. Art and Carolyn reside in Traverse City, Michigan.

Book preview

Contents

Dedication

Special Credits

Thanks for the Memories

Foreword

Introduction

Part I

Background

Part II

Evolution of Automotive Child Restraints

Part III

Congressional Involvement

Part IV

NHTSA’s Response to Public Concern for Action

Part V

Current Status of Child Restraint Systems

Part VI

How Cars are Designed for Occupants

Part VII

The Way Forward

Part VIII

Addendum

Appendix

References

Glossary

About the Author

Dedication

In remembrance of my Mom and Dad, who raised a wonderful supportive family.

And:

To my son Stephen, who’s birth inspired and motivated me to design and develop the first Child Safety Seat; the GM Love Seat in 1967.

This dedication would not be complete without recognizing Carolyn, my wife, companion and friend for her support.

Special Credits

I wish to thank Lynn Morgan for his rendition of the crash dummy illustrations placed throughout this book. Lynn is a very gifted and creative artist and songwriter. His illustrations convey the book’s message of automotive safety and testing that lend realism to the seriousness of the topics that are discussed.

Lynn Morgan’s award winning art images are revered by collectors’, around the world, and his songs have touched the hearts of thousands of listening fans. For more information, visit: www.lynnmorgan.com

Thanks for the Memories

Special thoughts and best wishes to a group of dedicated former General Motors engineers that assembled historical safety documentation for the GM Legal Staff at the Detroit New Center complex. They were affectionately dubbed the Silver Foxes, and donated their talent and vast experience to this special project. I wish to thank: Wally Carls, Al Clark, Russ Corbin*, Cliff D’Aoust, Al Mandel, Phil De Meno, Jim Morris*, Jack French, Bill Kersten, Nino Masella*, Don Nowosiadly, Wes Parker, Bill Reinhardt, Walt Wachocki, Dick Weeg, Jerry Wise*,Walt Young*, and Len Wysocki*. (*) with GOD.

April 5, 2011 (offc 2010)

Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death for children and adolescents ages 1 to 21. (American Academy of Pediatrics)

Foreword

Automotive child restraint systems have a proven record of saving the lives of numerous children and reducing serious injury of thousands of others. Unfortunately, there are still too many casualties; both fatal and debilitating injuries among restrained children. More tragic are the children who were lost because they were unrestrained and totally unprotected in violent vehicle crashes.

Child caregivers and parents are required by law in all fifty states to ensure that their charges are properly buckled-up in an approved child restraint system (CRS). However, the universe of child safety systems is confounding and confusing. Parents must choose among a head-spinning variety of redundant child safety restraint systems. Since children vary by age, weight, height and growth progression, the juvenile products industry has responded by introducing CRS models to fill the numerous child profiles based on marketing goals and strategic plans. Constant turnover of CRS models due to new models with, added features, color, and fabric choices and new names. Also safety recalls seems to be a common practice. Comfort and consumer convenience features have evolved, but child safety improvement is stagnated. The minimal safety testing and product compliance have not been revised since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued the initial child restraint standard FMVSS 213 in 1971 and the addition of a dynamic test in 1981. Surprisingly, the car companies are not involved in the design of child safety systems. Car companies are only required to provide minimal anchorage provisions for attachment of CRS systems in their vehicles and rear seats; and this NHTSA requirement was only effective for vehicles beginning in 2002. The various types and models of CRS are not reviewed to determine if they will fit specific vehicles. Child seats are not included in crash testing by the car companies and they are not pursuing child safety restraint advances. Yet the car companies are in a unique position to do so.

The following is a review of the history and current status of child safety systems and a proposal for the future way forward.

Introduction

The goal of this book is to enhance the safety of children being transported in motor vehicles. Every year, nearly 1,800 children are killed, and more than 274,000 are injured as a result of vehicle crashes. This sad statistic could be reduced if parents and caregivers properly used currently available child restraint systems and practiced precautionary safety guidelines based on accumulated accident experience and research studies. Adults, who are responsible for the wellness of children, need to be aware of the hazards inherent in automotive travel. This primer on child safety is intended to inform caregivers of the latest status of child restraint systems, their application, and installation into the vehicle. However, the car companies and industry suppliers must also play a more aggressive and dominant role in child safety research and development if we are to truly minimize this recurring tragedy. In order to promote child passenger safety, it is necessary to consider the primary contributors that affect the safety outcome. This includes: (a) the vehicle, (b) the child restraint system, (c) consumers, and (d) NHTSA. To accomplish our goal we will review the ongoing evolution of automotive vehicle safety and the current state of the art as well as proposals for a future course of action to advance child safety.

Part I

Background

The era of automotive safety in the United States began in the early 1960’s as a result of public concern relative to an alarming annual increase in the number of accident fatalities and serious injuries. Ralph Nader’s bestselling book Unsafe at any Speed, published in 1965 was an indictment of the auto industry’s safety record and instrumental in rallying public opinion. In 1966 congressional hearings were initiated relative to motor vehicle safety. The result of these hearings was the establishment of what later became NHTSA. NHTSA is the federal agency that regulates the automotive industry and enforces the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).

For the past forty-plus years automotive engineers and designers have strived to make motor vehicle travel safer with the application of scientific principles, innovative features, new technology, testing and lessons learned from real- life accident experience. The car companies (OEM’s or original equipment manufacturers), and their component suppliers, have made significant progress in this pursuit. Due to the magnitude and complexity of essential resources, only the automotive industry has the engineering technical expertise and testing capability to do in-depth research, design, and development to advance innovative safety systems to better protect vehicle occupants. The focus of this R & D has been primarily on the vehicle, its design features and adult occupants. Very little attention has been devoted to child occupants. Child restraint systems (CRS) are not considered to be part of the auto industry’s business model. They are not viewed as an integral part of the vehicle planning or content. Instead of being a part of the overall vehicle safety performance objectives, the safety of child passengers has been relegated to the juvenile products industry, that is ill-equipped to advance child safety beyond comfort/convenience features based on marketing/sales priorities. OEMs certainly care about child safety, but it has not been integrated into their mainstream product content and design consideration. For example, safety restraint systems that are required