A national research and commercial testing service, NSW Crashlab, has conducted a series of tests to determine which car seat best protects a child from traumatic injuries in the case of a serious car accident.
22 different car seats were tested in a number of different collision possibilities simulated at nearly 60km/h.
The only car seat that received five stars for protection, for a head-on collision to the front or side of the car, was the Nuna Klik rear-facing car seat, currently valued at $447.00.
In the tests, the dummy child was protected from any serious injuries to the head, neck or torso.
Six of the seats tested received a one star rating, including the Maxi-Cosi Luna forward-facing child seat, valued at $399, and the Babylove Cosmic 11 forward-facing child seat, valued at $169.
This does not mean the car seats did not meet Australia’s safety standards, with the NSW Minister for Roads Melinda Pavey stating, ‘If they were unsafe, we would call it out, but some prove to be better than others.’
Ensuring a parent picks the right car seat is incredibly important, as car accidents are the leading cause of death in children under the age of 14 in Australia.
