Last Updated On November 20th, 2018
Getting into even a moderate car crash is serious, and it raises a lot of additional problems afterwards. People usually get at least moderately injured as a result of being in car accidents. The very young and the very old are the most vulnerable. Car accidents can cause a great deal of property damage as well. In addition to everything else that they have to do under the circumstances, parents may all have the same inquiry: do car seats need to be replaced after an accident? Generally speaking, car seats do need to be replaced following car accidents.
The Severity of the Accident
In the case of a severe car accident, a car seat absolutely needs to be replaced. However, in the case of a minor car crash or accident, it’s possible that the car seat might still be in good enough shape to keep. The situation gets much more complicated with the car crashes that rank somewhere in the middle and that is not obviously mild or severe.
It’s generally difficult to establish a spectrum of the severity of car crashes. People will usually know when a car crash is severe. Some concerned parents might still be worried that a mild car crash was a moderate one and that they should replace the car seat anyway. If parents can afford a new car seat and they’re concerned, they’re certainly better off replacing the car seat one way or another. If nothing else, it will make them feel less worried.
The Value of Car Seats
Holding onto a potentially damaged car seat just won’t be worth it for some people. The fact that children have a tendency to outgrow car seats frequently makes them poor investments, and parents should just decide to upgrade with regards to certain car seats a little earlier in some cases.
Some poor families might not be able to afford a new car seat, especially if the damaged car seat was new. Poorer people will already have a hard time absorbing all of the expenses from even a mild car accident. People in this situation should just try to use their best judgment.
This is ultimately just a guideline. If the car seat still appears to be working fine, then it’s still possible that it is fine and there’s no reason to get rid of it. It’s a good idea to replace a car seat after a car accident in many cases because the car seat might have gotten damaged in the accident. The damages might be subtle enough that people won’t notice right away.
However, the damages associated with car accidents can happen unevenly. As such, it isn’t a guarantee that a car seat is going to be damaged in a car accident. With severe car accidents, people should get rid of the car seat. With milder car accidents, keeping the car seat might be worth it to some. Other people might feel more comfortable getting rid of it to be on the safe side.
Also read: Are Car Seat Laws Changing?