Move is Made Pending Additional Testing Now Underway

    NEW YORK, Jan. 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following statement
 was released today by Consumer Reports:
     Consumer Reports is withdrawing its recent report on infant car seats
 pending further tests of the performance of those seats in side-impact
 collisions.
     A new report will be published with any necessary revisions as soon as
 possible after the new tests are complete.
     We withdrew the report immediately upon discovering a substantive issue
 that may have affected the original test results. The issue came to light
 based on new information received Tuesday night and Wednesday morning from
 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) concerning the
 speed at which our side-impact tests were conducted.
     The original study, published in the February issue of Consumer
 Reports, was aimed at discovering how infant seats performed in tests at
 speeds that match those used in the government's New Car Assessment Program
 (NCAP). This program tests most new vehicles in crashes at speeds of 35 mph
 for frontal impact and 38 mph for side impact. Child safety seats, in
 contrast, are currently tested only in front-impact crashes at speeds of 30
 mph.
     Our tests were intended to simulate side crashes at the NCAP speed of
 38 mph. The new information raises a question about whether the tests
 accurately simulated that speed, however, so we are now reviewing our tests
 and the resulting article.
     To those who may have seen the report earlier in print, on the Web, or
 in broadcasts, we urge you to remember that use of any child seat is safer
 than no child seat, but to suspend judgment on the merits of individual
 products until the new testing has been completed and the report
 re-published.
     We appreciate that manufacturers and particularly NHTSA are engaging
 directly with us on this article, and we applaud NHTSA for giving serious
 consideration to the development of side-impact child seat tests. Consumer
 Reports has long advocated adoption of such tests, since government data
 show that side crashes account for a significant number of child
 fatalities.
     We look forward to re-issuing guidance on child-seat safety as soon as
 possible.
     The material above is intended for legitimate news entities only; it
 may not be used for commercial or promotional purposes. Consumer Reports(R)
 is published by Consumers Union, an expert, independent nonprofit
 organization whose mission is to work for a fair, just, and safe
 marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect
 themselves. To achieve this mission, we test, inform, and protect. To
 maintain our independence and impartiality, Consumers Union accepts no
 outside advertising, no free test samples, and has no agenda other than the
 interests of consumers. Consumers Union supports itself through the sale of
 our information products and services, individual contributions, and a few
 noncommercial grants.
 
 

SOURCE Consumer Reports