Parents purchasing a new car seat in the next year will want to be aware of an important safety update: Starting June 30, 2025, all car seats sold in the U.S. must meet new federal safety standards aimed at improving protection during side-impact collisions.
The regulation, issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, is a major move toward reducing child fatalities and injuries in what experts consider one of the most dangerous types of crashes.
"These new standards are a major step forward in protecting children during one of the most serious types of crashes," the agency told "Good Morning America."
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.
So 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.
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.
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.
"Current child seats are highly effective in reducing the likelihood of death or serious injury in vehicle crashes," the NHTSA said.
To ensure maximum protection, the agency recommends using the correct type of seat based on your child's weight and height, following manufacturer instructions and checking installation.
Tools like the NHTSA's Find the Right Seat guide and Inspection Station Locator can help.
For those shopping for a new seat, many brands are already ahead of the June 2025 deadline, the NHTSA said.
While not all packaging will explicitly mention compliance with FMVSS 213a, consumers can contact manufacturers directly to confirm.
According to the NHTSA, all car seats sold after June 30, 2025, must meet the new standard.
While this update represents a major leap in child passenger safety, the NHTSA said there are no additional updates planned for booster seats or other restraint systems at this time.
However, the agency continues to conduct research and may revise guidelines as new data becomes available.
In the meantime, parents and caregivers interested in the science behind these changes can view the crash tests that informed the new regulation.
The NHTSA conducted four side-impact crash tests with dummies representing 3-year-old children to ensure accuracy. These tests, numbers 6634 through 6637, are available in the NHTSA's research database here.
