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NHTSA Amends Child Restraint Standards, Exempting School Bus Systems
WHY IT MATTERS
The rule shifts the compliance deadline to December 5 2026 and permits school bus CRSs to bypass certain attachment and side‑impact tests, potentially reducing manufacturing costs and simplifying labeling for those systems.
What happened
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a final rule that modifies Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) 213a, 213, and 213b. The changes exempt school bus child restraint systems (CRSs) from side‑impact protection requirements and from the attachment requirements that normally apply to CRSs, provided the systems meet new labeling guidelines.
The rule also postpones the compliance deadline from June 30 2025 to December 5 2026. Additionally, the rule removes the Child Restraint Air‑Bag Interaction twelve‑month‑old test dummy (CRABI‑12MO) from forward‑facing CRS testing and revises its positioning procedures.
The amendments were prompted by petitions from CRS manufacturers and will take effect on the new compliance date, allowing manufacturers to adjust production and labeling practices accordingly.
PRIMARY SOURCES
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 213a; Child Restraint Systems-Side Impact Protection; Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 213; Child Restraint Systems, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 213b; Child Restraint Systems; Incorporation by Reference
NHTSA via the Federal Register · National Highway Traffic Safety Administration · U.S. federal government publication; source-specific terms apply