The Dangers of After-Market Car Seat Products

I love seeing pictures of kids riding in their car seats. It makes this personal injury lawyer’s heart happy to see children buckled up and riding safely.

But, sometimes, in those same pictures, I see things that are also potentially unsafe with the car seat. And, usually, parents have no idea that they’re exposing their child to danger.

Sometimes it is a seat protector, other times it’s a window roll-up shade on the window, a cup holder, or toys hanging on the handle of the car seat. They all seem harmless, and useful in some way, but in the event of an accident, they all have the potential to cause serious harm.  

Many products have a label that says “Crash Tested!” and may even add “to FMVSS standards” on the box or in the product manual, but this is misleading since there is nothing in the federal safety standards for car seats that covers these items. That’s why these products are called non-regulated or aftermarket.

The majority of after-market products are fine on their own, but when you attach them to a child’s car seat or put them in your car, the story can change. For example, putting a toy on your child’s car seat handle may not seem like an unsafe behavior, but in the event of an accident, that toy will likely come in contact with the child’s face and could harm him or her. The mirrors that are made to be strapped to the back of headrests and window shades are also cause for concern because they can detach during an accident and become a projectile risk, potentially causing injury.

Simply put, when a car seat is sold, anything that comes with the seat (including the infant insert, the cup holder, etc.) is rigorously crash tested with the seat and deemed safe. If you add something to the car seat, that wasn’t sold with it, you may be reducing the integrity of the seat or how it will perform in a crash.  Likewise, car add-on products like a roll up window shade or headrest mirror have not been crash tested with your vehicle.  If your vehicle is involved in a crash, these items are likely to become flying projectiles capable of causing serious injury. 

Ultimately, it is your decision as a parent whether or not to use these products. However, I feel it is my duty as a parent of a young child and also as someone who regularly sees injury to children, to inform all parents of best practices, and that includes never putting something in or on the car seat (or car!) that did not come with it.

I encourage you to take a look around the car the next time you buckle your child in. What is nearby that could potentially cause harm in the event of a quick stop or crash? Make an effort to move or remove at least one thing from your car or your child’s seat to make his or her environment safer and make sure your precious passenger is riding as safely as possible.