Do child safety seats need to be replaced after a crash?

Do child safety seats need to be replaced after a crash?

Stephanie Tombrello (Child Passenger Safety Educator & Executive Director, SafetyBeltSafe USA) gives expert video advice on: What qualities should I look for in a child safety seat?; Is it safe to use an old or second-hand child safety seat?; Can I still use a child safety seat after an accident? and more...

SafetyBeltSafeUSA recommends that parents replace a safety seat after it's been involved in a crash. The reason is that one doesn't necessarily see damage that may have occurred to the structure of the safety seat and one doesn't know if there will be a second crash, and perhaps a more serious one. So we like to err on the side of caution with a safety product.