child car seat accident

How safe is a child’s car seat after an accident?

My husband skidded off the road this morning with both children in the car. Thank god no-one was hurt. However, we think the car will be written off, what I’m worried about now is how safe their seats will be after the crash?

NHTSA recommends that child safety seats be replaced following a moderate or severe crash in order to ensure a continued high level of crash protection for child passengers.

NHTSA recommends that child safety seats do not automatically need to be replaced following a minor crash.

Minor crashes are those that meet ALL of the following criteria:

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

The vehicle door nearest the safety seat was undamaged;

There were no injuries to any of the vehicle occupants;

The air bags (if present) did not deploy; AND

There is no visible damage to the safety seat

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps/ChildRestraints/ReUse/RestraintReUse.htm

3rd child dies after car-train wreck near Rockdale
ROCKDALE, Texas (AP) – A third child has died following a traffic accident in which a car was struck by a train in Milam (MY’-luhm) County. Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Tom Vinger on Thursday identified the youngest victim as 4-year-old Keeyati Hancock of Rockdale.