The FAA has finally
announced that it will not mandate the use of child safety seats on
airplanes because of the increased safety risk to families.
The agency said its analyses showed that, if forced to purchase
an extra airline ticket, families might choose to drive, a
statistically more dangerous way to travel. The risk for fatalities
and injuries to families is significantly greater on the roads than
in airplanes, according to the FAA. Last year, nearly 43,000 people
died on America's highways as compared to 13 on commercial
flights.
"Statistics show that families are safer traveling in the sky
than on the road," said FAA Administrator Marion C. Blakey (below,
right). "We encourage the use of child safety seats in airplanes.
However, if requiring extra airline tickets forces some families to
drive, then we're inadvertently putting too many families at
risk."
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
supported the FAA's decision based on current FAA and NHTSA studies
that show a mandate could result in another 13 to 42 added family
member fatalities over 10 years in highway accidents.
As the nation's leading
advocate for the use of child restraint systems, NHTSA
Administrator Jeffrey W. Runge, M.D., today said that NHTSA
supports the FAA's decision. He said, "This is good public policy
that is in the best interest of safety for the traveling
public."
To encourage families who fly to use child restraint systems,
the FAA is also broadening the categories of the types of systems
that airlines can provide on aircraft by amending its regulations
permitting the use of alternative child restraint systems to
improve safety for children otherwise secured only with a lap
belt.
Alternative child restraint systems must be approved by the FAA
and provided by an airline, not passengers. Specifics are published
in a final rule today and available at www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/
and on display at the Federal Register.
Airlines currently allow children under the age of two to fly
free of charge as "lap children" and many airlines offer half-price
tickets so parents can be guaranteed that their child can travel in
a safety seat. The FAA continues to educate parents and encourages
them to make informed decision about traveling with young children
by providing helpful guidance at www.faa.gov/passengers.
An official FAA notice withdrawing the agency's rulemaking is on
display at the Federal Register.