Precious Cargo

Promote Child Safety

Precious Cargo is a term safety advocates use to describe helpless children who are at risk when riding in automobiles. These fragile passengers are dependent upon parents and caregivers to protect them and ensure their wellbeing. Motor vehicle crashes claim thousands of child fatalities and debilitating injuries every year. Unrestrained children are at the greatest risk of death and serious injury. Use of Child Restraint Systems is essential to protect your loved ones. The author reviews the historical basis of child car seats and the evolution of child safety restraints to date. Child restraint systems have a proven record of saving the lives of numerous children, and reducing serious injury of thousands of others. However, it has been a rocky road. Current child seats are effective when used correctly but misuse; confusion, and product recalls have tainted the industry. Progress toward advancing child safety has stalled; with little progress over the past 40 years. Obsolete and ineffective testing methodology needs to be corrected to advance the state-of-art. The Car companies are not involved in child restraint design, crash testing or vehicle installation problems. The National Highway Traffic safety Administration (NHTSA) oversight has been negligent and ineffective in advancing child safety technology. Cooperation between car companies, child seat manufacturers, NHTSA, and concerned safety advocates as the way-forward to advancing child safety is presented.