I have a non-believer: Need data on expired carseats

sanctareparata

New member
On another forum I frequent, we are discussing expired carseats. The "older" generation is rolling its eyes thinking that it's nonsense, so I thought I'd check here for some good info:

Her question: "One youtube video, while a shocking image, is not data.

Would anyone have links to independant studies that show the statistics for infant/child deaths due to expired car seats?"


Can anyone help? Thanks.
 
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Victorious4

Senior Community Member
There were some very convicing crash investigation reports released. I think it mentioned an expired carseat. Most of it was other forms of misuse, though. I'm having trouble finding those links. Off to look some more, but hopefully someone else can share, too.
 

sanctareparata

New member
I just told her that the proof and data is there that plastics degrade over time, and that should be sufficient considering that's what carseats are made of.

If anyone else here has something to add, please do so....
 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
I just told her that the proof and data is there that plastics degrade over time, and that should be sufficient considering that's what carseats are made of.

Exactly. Case in point: my father is a past president of American Academy of Orthotists & Prosthetists (for amputees, not teeth) . . . we use the same plastic that carseats are made of to make our immediate post-operative sockets. They only have a 90 day expiration based on daily rehabilitative use. The only person we know of to use theirs beyond the 90 day expiration fell down & required another sugery, which would have been completely avoidable if the patient or practitioner had followed protocol.

There's also a crash test showing a child dummy being ejected from an expired carseat. The harness ripped through the hard plastic shell. This was not done at extremely high speed, but at the regular 30-35 MPH.

Still looking.
 

sanctareparata

New member
Thanks; her comment was in response to that video.

I will have to point out to her what you said about your dad's work. I guess I just see it as common sense - how many summers can you pull out the same plastic lawn furniture without noticing it's getting brittle and starting to crack?
 

sanctareparata

New member
Her latest:

"My point is, this is opinion. I do not believe that there is data to support the fact that children died before the car seat companies decided that car seats expire.

Plastics break down, yes, there are plastics in your car, in the seat that the car-seat is attached to, seems that cars should also expire?"
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
Her latest:

"My point is, this is opinion. I do not believe that there is data to support the fact that children died before the car seat companies decided that car seats expire.

Plastics break down, yes, there are plastics in your car, in the seat that the car-seat is attached to, seems that cars should also expire?"

Hello? Thank GOD children haven't died because of old seats failing :eek: (would be my response to her... I mean, it's useless advice because no one's DEAD? WTH?)

The truth is, the expiration dates did come about because many dozens of children DID die when their infant seats were placed in front of frontal airbags, because seats had no warnings on them not to put them there. It's better for seats to expire so that new ones that meet more current standards can fill the market. Old seats don't have airbag warnings, they don't have top tethers, they don't have EPS foam or LATCH...there are lots of safety advances that happen all the time that old seats don't have and kids are not as safe in them. On top of that, they may be more likely to fail due to plastic breakdown...it's just the icing on the cake of 'not as safe' as a new seat.

Many seats coming out now have longer expiration dates (Sunshine Kids 7, Frontier 9, Nautilus 9 as a backless) so maybe they are using stronger plastics...but I've seen some oldish Evenflos that you can just slam a hammer through it's so brittle and weak (and a hammer is nothing compared to the hundreds of pounds of force a child puts on a harness in a crash)... I wouldn't want my child or any child I love to be the one to test the theory that 'plastics don't break down', personally.

(Oh, wait, I don't think you can use any of that to refute her argument, but that's my general feeling, lol).
 

wendy1221

New member
ANd duh, the actual seats of the car aren't made of plastic. They're made of steel. Plastic is only used for paneling to look nice in cars, none of it is structural.
 

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