Doom break: The dangerous history of bad child car seat designs

The dangerous history of bad child car seat designs



Survivorship bias arises when we make assumptions about those who made it through an ordeal without considering the data or testimony of those who didn’t. It’s what led Abraham Wald to discover exactly where to up-armor planes during World War II. It’s also why people will inevitably come to the defense of the deeply stupid child restraint devices of decades past simply because they lived through that period.

The fact of the matter is, however, that child restraint systems built before the late Sixties or so weren’t put on the market for safety and weren’t designed to save children’s lives in the event of an accident. Instead, companies – some established and respected, others fly-by-night – offered such devices to make a quick buck and in many cases put children at greater risk of injury or death.

cont'd:

[link to www.hemmings.com (secure)]

(Lots of crazy old advertisements and pics on that link)