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 FAA Hears Parents on Child-Seat Safety
Family Travel Forum Staff
Safety seats aren't just for the car -- the FAA draws awareness to in-flight child safety and provides guidelines for child seat use on airplanes.
December 1999's National Transportation Safety Board conference in Washington D.C. showcased many of the complicated issues surrounding our tiniest flyers, who cannot safely be accommodated in regular airplane seats. In her speech, FAA Administrator Jane Garvey reiterated two points the FAA had advocated since 1998: *Child restraints should be mandatory in aircraft
Also of parental concern is whether the FAA will require the purchase of airline seats for infants under two years (currently available at a 50% discount on most US airlines, though carrying a 'lap child' is still free.) Since children traveling by car have a statistically higher injury rate than those traveling by plane, the government has long avoided this subject. As Garvey noted in her address, "We don't want an aviation safety rule to have an unintended consequence that puts families at greater risk on the road." Find out more about current FAA regulations for child restraints at http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_children/crs/.  CARES (Child Aviation Restraint System) the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved safety device that is intended to ensure the protection of young children during take-off, landing, and taxi has been awarded the Good Housekeeping 2008 Good Buy Award, honoring it for quality, performance and innovation. Designed by a Vermonter grandmother as an example of necessity being the (grand)mother of invention, it is manufactured by AmSafe Aviation, the world's leading manufacturer of aviation safety products, including aircraft seat belts. CARES is designated for children 1 to 4-years-old who weigh 22-44 pounds, and who are no taller than 40".Simple to install, the device uses an additional belt and shoulder harness around the seat back that attaches to the passenger lap belt and restrains the upper part of the body. Easy to transport (the device weighs only a pound and fits into a 6" sack), it is also usable in any airplane seat, except for exit row seats (where children are not permitted to be seated.) CARES is the only alternative to FAA-certified car seats (which were never designed for air travel) permitted aboard an airplane, and is a smart investment for traveling families not only because of its convenience, but because it offers greater protection for young ones than a parent's lap. While the FAA states that children over 2-years-old must have their own seat, it is recommended that parents purchase a safety restraint system of some sort for younger children. The device is priced at $74.95, and can be purchased at www.kidsflysafe.com, or by calling  800/229-6249. A DVD demonstration video and instructions will also accompany the order.
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Several parents who testified at the hearings complained about the difficulty of installing different models of carseats in aircraft. Resolution of this issue would require a standardized CRS (wouldn't that be a relief to those who struggle with new child seats every time they rent a car?) and additional flight staff training. 
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