"Tech Tuesdays: New Car Seat Adds Increased Protection for Side-Impact Crashes" Edmunds Daily

Tech Tuesdays: New Car Seat Adds Increased Protection for Side-Impact Crashes

Side-impact crashes are the most deadly type of car accident for children because of the danger of head trauma, according to a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

That's why Dorel Juvenile Group, the company behind such well-known brands as Safety 1st and Cosco, along with Kettering University developed what it calls Air Protect technology specifically to cushion the blow for babies and toddlers, and it's included on a new car seat introduced yesterday.

The company claims that Air Protect uses the "precise release of air" to reduce crash force and therefore shield a child's head from injuries due to side-impact collisions. The technology does this by increasing "ride-down," or the amount of time it takes to slow a body's movement in a crash. And it does it in the worst-case scenario of a side-impact collision -- and without firing off an air bag.

The Air Protect was developed using what's termed the Dorel/Kettering method of testing that uses an intruding-door technique rather than a fixed door, since in a side-impact crash the car door on the collision side can protrude into the vehicle and inflict significant damage. The technique was developed by Dorel engineers and Kettering researchers to study the effects of side-impact crashes on child passenger safety, and the findings have been shared with NHTSA, which has been pushing for more comprehensive side-impact regulations.

The Air Protect system is "static" and doesn't use an air bag. According to Dorel, two disc-shaped flaps at the top of the seat cushion the blow by transferring the energy of a crash away from the occupant. How it works and how it was developed is further explained in the following video.

The Air Protect system will be available only on the Safety 1st Complete Air convertible car seat beginning in August at Toys "R" Us and Babies "R" Us for $249.99, and at other retailers later in the year.