HOUSTON – Parents need to know about new child car seat regulations coming soon. New seats will have to meet new federal safety standards to help keep kids safer in crashes.
Nicole Peake, Health Education Specialist with Texas Children’s Hospital, showed us what to look for when choosing a child safety seat.
The new standard, called Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 213a, states that all harnessed car seats that carry children under 40 pounds must also hold up in a 30-mile-per-hour side collision test.
This side collision testing is the manufacturer’s responsibility. The deadline for manufacturers to make seats meet these standards was June 30, 2025, but has now been extended to December 5, 2026. However, Peake says many seats already meet these standards and are being tested for side impact crashes.
What you can do:
Additionally, these new guidelines change the weight guidance for various seats:
Texas Children’s Hospital has a dedicated, bilingual phone number parents can call to ensure their child’s seat meets standards and is installed properly. Families can call and leave a message to chat with a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician with any questions: (832) 822-2277. Or parents can make an appointment through this link.
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