The Evolution of the Child Safety Seats
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1962—The first safety seat for children was invented in England by Jean Ames. The design has straps that hold the padded seat against the rear passenger seat. Within the seat, the child is restrained by a Y-shaped harness slips over his head and shoulders and fastens between the legs.
1971—The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) adopts the first federal standard for child seating systems. It requires the use of a safety belt to hold the car seat and a harness to hold the child in it. The standard does not cover rear-facing infant restraints or car beds.
1978—First child passenger restraint law goes into effect in Tennessee.
1981—Rhode Island becomes second state to pass a mandatory passenger restraint law.
1985—All states and the District of Columbia have some version of a child passenger restraint law.
1986—A NHTSA study shows that correctly used child restraint systems are 71 percent effective at reducing fatalities and 67 percent effective at reducing serious injuries. If the restraints are partially misused, effectiveness is reduced by 44 percent.
1993—Passenger air bags begin to be installed in increasing numbers. In April, the first child—a 6-year-old riding unbelted—is killed by a passenger air bag.
1996—NTSB concluds that passenger side air bags as designed are not acceptable as a protective device for children.
1999—1,997 children under 13 die in motor vehicle accidents, representing a 46 percent decline from the 3,643 deaths in 1975.
2000—Washington becomes the first state to pass a booster seat law requiring older children to be secured in safety seats. The law is named the Anton Skeen Act, after a 4-year-old boy who was ejected and killed in a car crash.
2002—Congress passes Anton's Law, which directs NHTSA to improve federal standards for child vehicle restraint systems. The law extends safety standards to children who weigh more than 50 pounds, typically children 4 to 8 years old.
2004—Child restraints save the lives of 451 children 4 and under. Among passengers over 4 years old, safety belts save an estimated 15,434 lives.
2008—This year marks the 30th anniversary of the first child passenger restraint law.
Map of Booster Seat Laws
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