Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Child Restraint Systems

This rule, and a companion rule issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), address the use of child harnesses and backless child restraints in aircraft. This document amends a provision in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 213, ``Child Restraint Systems,'' that permits those restraints to be certified for use in both motor vehicles and aircraft. Under the current FAA regulations, aircraft-certified child restraints may be used on aircraft. However, because testing has raised FAA's concerns about the safety of using harnesses and backless child restraint systems on the types of seats found in aircraft, FAA is publishing a rule in today's Federal Register that prohibits the use of booster seats, and vest- and harness-type child restraint systems on aircraft during take off, landing and movement on the surface, even if these restraints are certified for aircraft use. In view of the FAA's determination that harnesses and booster seats are unsuitable for use during significant portions of a flight, the agency believes continuing to permit the certification of those restraints for aircraft use would be inconsistent and likely confusing to the public. Accordingly, this rule no longer permits those restraints to be certified for aircraft use, and instead requires manufacturers to label these restraints as not certified for use in aircraft.