Child car seat accessories more hazardous than parents may think

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Child car seat accessories, while popular, are a safety hazard some parents may be unaware of. Specialists are urging parents to think twice about using them.

"What we're seeing again is that these are actually more of a safety hazard than they are keeping that child safe," said Amy Borg, child passenger safety specialist with Children's Nebraska. "These products are mainly made out of plastic, and then they're attached by Velcro or they're attached by plastic clips. Crash forces are very strong, even in a minor crash, so that can cause that Velcro to give way or those plastic clips to break, sending that product toward the child."

Despite glowing reviews online, Borg is urging parents to not purchase car seat cameras.

"In a rear-end crash, car seats are designed to go back towards the rear end of the vehicle, right where those products are sticking out. In a frontal crash, which is most of our crashes, crash forces are designed to push that car seat forward and then they rebound towards the back of the seat, again with those products sticking out, right where that child's face would go or torso would be."

Products like these have no safety standards, nor are they crash-tested. They pose strangulation hazards as well, with cords that run to the front of the vehicle.

It can also be a distraction for drivers behind the wheel. A 2022 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report says more than 3,000 people died due to distracted driving, and at least 300,000 were hurt.

"Driving is the most dangerous thing that we do, and we do it every single day," Borg said.

If something is upsetting your child in the backseat, it's best to pull over.

"They think they're doing the wonderful thing and keeping their child safe, and I completely understand that. Once they learn that it's actually more of a danger than it is of a help, that they're removing those things."

Car seat and vehicle manufacturers say they don't allow these kinds of accessories anywhere near car seats.