Faulty research on child car seats puts Consumer Reports on guard

One of America’s great institutions, Consumer Reports, recently made headlines with its fatally flawed report on child safety seats.

For those Mainers who have been vacationing in the Caribbean, on a snowmobile expedition in the frozen North or otherwise missed the avalanche of news coverage, here is the condensed story: Consumer Reports recently published a story stating that eight out of 10 tested child car-safety seats did not pass its vehicle side-impact tests.

When the National Traffic Safety Board ran its own follow-up tests, the results were very different. This information was shared with Consumer Reports, which divulged that its own research had been done by an unnamed company. It also was revealed that the company had tested the seats in side-impact collisions in excess of 70 miles per hour, not the 38.5 miles per hour stipulated. Side impact crashes at the higher speed represent less than 2 percent of real-world accidents. Consumer Reports immediately retracted the report and promised to carefully redo all the tests.

The result of such shoddy research has been to confuse and discourage parents from using car seats for their children. The real truth here is that car seats work! A child in a properly installed rear-facing car seat has 70 percent less chance of being fatally injured in an accident. As a matter of fact, in serious car crashes, the child in the car seat is the safest human in the vehicle. Emergency-room professionals say it is rare to see a properly restrained child injured in an accident, but their parents may suffer serious injuries from the same accident. Side-impact collisions account for nearly a quarter of all collisions. Unfortunately, they are the largest source of serious injury and death.

Here’s what you should remember if you are transporting young children in your car:

. Always place the infant in an approved, rear-facing car seat in the rear seat, preferably in the center of the vehicle. Save your gambling for Hollywood Slots; don’t gamble that your vehicle won’t have an accident.

. Make sure the seat is securely attached to the vehicle with a seat belt or latch. Kids will squirm around but the car seat should not.

. Make sure the harness is snug to restrain your child. Too tight is not good, but too loose can be dangerous in an accident.

. There is no one best car seat. Purchase the one that best meets the needs of you and your child.

In the spirit of full disclosure, Northeast CONTACT has a subscription to Consumer Reports, thanks to a generous benefactor. These valuable publications can be found on the coffee table in our waiting room at 109 State St. in Bangor. For 70 years or so, Consumer Reports has been the gold standard to help consumers choose products wisely. The organization does not accept advertising (how many publications can say that?) and its recommendations are usually well thought out.

The publication also regularly suggests points to consider before buying a product that might not cross the mind of the average consumer. In this world of advertising deception, hype and truth-stretching, Consumer Reports cuts to the chase.

It’s unfortunate that the poorly done research and subsequent report have cast a black eye upon the institution’s spotless reputation. Consumer Reports deserves a second chance.

Consumer Forum is a collaboration of the Bangor Daily News and Northeast CONTACT, Maine’s membership-funded nonprofit consumer organization. Individual membership costs $25; business rates start at $125 (0-10 employees). For help and information write: Consumer Forum, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1329.