The Bubble Bum, an inflatable child booster seat, advertises that it “meets
all US safety testing standards” – and so does a three-ring binder filled
with paper and wrapped with duct tape.   But does that mean that
these designs will actually protect a child in a crash? Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard 213 hardly represents the state of the art in child safety seat
research, testing or technology. An inflatable child seat might be convenient,
but successful compliance testing can mean very little in a real-world crash. Gary
Whitman, Director of Crashworthiness for the Philadelphia-based ARCCA Inc.,
an expert in occupant crash safety systems, will talk at The Safety Institute’s
upcoming conference about 213’s relevance to safety and public health – and
what’s needed to make the standard more relevant.  Whitman has tested
hundreds of child seats and collaborated with NHTSA, the Pennsylvania chapter
of the American Academy of Pediatric Child Injury Prevention, National SAFE
KIDS Campaign, and the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania in child restraint
research. (The Safety Institute).

http://www.thesafetyinstitute.org/