As a car seat technician, I often get calls at the Alpena Post from concerned parents who were involved in a car accident, but the child was not in the car seat or the crash was in a parking lot at low speeds.

The main point of those parents’ calls is to ask, when is it appropriate to replace a car seat that has been involved in an accident?

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends car seats be replaced following a moderate or severe crash in order to ensure a continued high level of crash protection for child passengers.

Car seats do not automatically need to be replaced following a minor crash.

A minor crash is defined by NHTSA as when all of the following apply:

∫ The vehicle was able to be driven away from the crash site,

∫ The vehicle door nearest the car seat was not damaged,

∫ None of the passengers in the vehicle sustained any injuries in the crash,

∫ If the vehicle has air bags, the air bags did not deploy during the crash, and

∫ There is no visible damage to the car seat.

A parent or caregiver should NEVER use a car seat that has been involved in a moderate to severe crash.

Overall, a parent or caregiver should always follow manufacturer’s instructions for the child’s car seat.

Ashley Simpson is a community service trooper for the Michigan State Police-Alpena Post. If you have a question for Trooper Simpson, you can email her at asktroopersimpson@gmail.com or mail them to Ask A Trooper, Michigan State Police-Alpena Post, 3283 W. Washington Ave., Alpena, Michigan, 49707.