Question Do I need to replace seats?

jsta1005

New member
The family I nanny for was driving home last week on the freeway and the person driving started to doze off. They drove off the road a little and ran into a mile marker sign. They were going about 70 MPH and they didn't stop, but just drove over the sign. No airbags deployed and there is about a 3 inch dent on the front of the hood. The kids were in the car in a MA and a Nauti. Do they need to replace the seats?
 
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BW1426

Well-known member
:eek: Holy smokes.

I'm not sure. The fact that they kept on driving makes me think there wasn't all that much force being placed back on the car. But, I don't know. I definitely check them out.
 

mommy-medic

New member
I think it depends if they define that as a crash or not. Almost all car seat manufacturers require replacement after a crash, yet sometimes it can be hard to define. I would feel fine using the seats again (unless what I am picturing by your description is different than actuality- can you post pics?)

Here is what NHTSA says about minor crashes:
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps/ChildRestraints/ReUse/RestraintReUse.htm

(but again, most car seat manufacturers say to replace after any crash, so it's up to the parents to decide if that was a crash or not).
 

jsta1005

New member
Here is what NHTSA says about minor crashes:
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps/ChildRestraints/ReUse/RestraintReUse.htm

(but again, most car seat manufacturers say to replace after any crash, so it's up to the parents to decide if that was a crash or not).

It meets all of those criteria.

I was not with them so I don't know exactly what the sign looks like, but they have told me it was just plastic (not a metal pole with a sign on it or anything.) Dad says it wasn't a crash because they didn't even stop when they hit the sign and mom thinks I know more than dad and trusts me to make the call about the seats. I don't know what to say. I have always been firm about following manufacturers guidelines, but this almost seems like not a crash.
 

babygirlsmom1005

New member
Well the signs are a little more than plastic, but they are acutally ment to be the thing that gives if they get ran over and not there to stop anything (my DH works for TXDoT and they get to replace them all the time).

But :eek: 70 mph and running off the road - that is scary!!!
 

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