A new guideline for ensuring the safety of children in side-impact collisions has been handed down by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a part of the US Department of Transportation. All new seats will have to meet updated federal safety standards as of June 30, 2025. *(A new deadline of December 2026 has been proposed). NHTSA changed the regulations to help make car seats even safer during side-impact crashes.
Side-impact collisions, also known as T-bone crashes, can be particularly deadly for children because there is less space and structure between them and the point of impact, the NHTSA said. While frontal crashes remain the most common, the NHTSA noted that side impacts cause nearly as many fatalities and serious injuries for children under 12.
Why weren’t side-impact tests part of the original safety standards?
According to the NHTSA, the delay was due to the extensive data required under the Vehicle Safety Act. “We focused on frontal crash protection first because those are the most frequent crashes and lead to the most injuries and deaths in child car seats,” the agency said.
It wasn’t until years of research, including the development of a specialized side-impact crash dummy and test, that the agency was able to introduce a new rule based on real-world risk.
What is FMVSS No. 213a?
The updated regulation, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 213a, adds a new sled test for child seats simulating a 30 mph side-impact crash involving two vehicles.
The rule applies to child seats designed for children weighing under 40 pounds.
“NHTSA’s new standard ensures that child seats can restrain the child, prevent harmful head contact with a vehicle door or seat structure and reduce crash forces to the chest,” the agency said.
Key Takeaway
If you already own a car seat, there’s no need to replace it, as long as it hasn’t expired, is correctly installed and has not been recalled. Check with the car seat’s manufacturer to see if it already complies with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 213a.
*Delay in the compliance date of FMVSS No. 213a from June 30, 2025 to December 5, 2026. NHTSA received a petition for rulemaking from a group of CRS manufacturers which requested a delay on the FMVSS No. 213a compliance date to “prevent market disruption resulting in reduced availability of CRSs” and due to “limited availability of compliance lab sled time” that is needed for the development and certification of their products.
Find the right car seat
- Learn about the four car seat types
- Follow NHTSA’s car seat recommendations based on your child’s age and size
- Find and compare car seats and ease-of-use-ratings using NHTSA’s Car Seat Finder
Install your car seat correctly
- Understand the parts and tips used for installation
- Follow our detailed car seat installation instructions and videos
- Get your car seat inspected at a station nearest you
Keep your child safe in a car seat
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