The new American Standard for Child Restraint Systems (AFSL) regulations will be implemented soon, with new side impact requirements. Currently, eqo lab has the ability to test the new AFSL FMVSS 213 child seats, and can provide FMVSS 213 side impact and front impact services for child car seat manufacturers.

Recently, Manager Long and Manager Tu of R&D Department of eqo Simulated Collision Laboratory were invited to go deep into the enterprise to carry out the training on the update of FMVSS 213 standard and share the recall cases of children's products for more than 100 employees.

In this training, Manager Long focused on the revised content of the new American Standard for Child Restraint Systems.

The final rule amends FMVSS No. 213, ‘Child Restraint Systems’, and adds FMVSS No. 213b, ‘Child Restraint Systems’; it is mandatory to apply since 5 December 2026.FMVSS No. 213's Amendments will be mandatory for one year to modernise the standard by updating the CRS owner registration scheme, and the labelling requirements to guide consumers on the proper use of child restraint systems.

The compliance date for FMVSS Amendment No. 213 is 5 December 2024. The compliance date for FMVSS No. 213b is 5 December 2026. The option to comply with the standard earlier is allowed.

The major updates to the new FMVSS 213 Child Restraint Systems standard are as follows

❖The newly added side impact requirement is a 10 degree offset side impact collision with a crash speed of: 30.66km/h~31.94km/h, using the American Standard Side Impact Dummy Q3S;

❖ The seat dimensions and mounting anchorage points for the child restraint system have been changed considerably;

                        Original Child Seat Mounting Anchor Points          New Child Seat Mounting Anchor Points

❖ The firmness of the seat cushions has also been altered;

                              Original test seat                                                     New test seat

❖Strengthened labelling requirements

Manager Tu brought case studies of recalls of children's products in the United States, Europe, Canada and China to deepen the understanding and promote the transformation of theory into practice, and solved questions and answers according to the actual situation of the enterprises on the spot and started exchanges.

Through this training, the participants gained a deeper understanding of the FMVSS 213 standard, which further enhanced the implementation of the new standard for enterprises and provided them with effective technical support.