Seat Safety Q&A
questions about Radian
and car seat safety.
Yes, all Diono car seats provide reinforced side-impact protection, and some models offer the increased protection of an adjustable head support. Currently, there is no U.S. or European regulatory side-impact testing requirement.A manufacturer can make the claim of "side-impact safety" without meeting any standard.Diono’s RadianRXT and Monterey models were side-impact tested to the widely accepted German standard established by ADAC, Europe’s largest automobile club.
Do all car seats sold in the U.S. actually meet the National Highway Safety Administration’s FMVSS213 standards?FMVSS213 does not require child seats to achieve performance results with RF children above 22 lbs and for FF children above 50 lbs.Radian and Monterey meet all the performance standards with all weight children, RF and FF.Radian does this with and without using top tether.
What is NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) crash testing?All vehicles must undergo NCAP crash testing at 35 mph to simulate a severe car accident. Child car seats are only required to crash test at 30 mph.At 35 mph, an NCAP test can have almost double the crash impact force of a standard 30 mph car seat crash test.NCAP is a severe-accident survivability crash test for a car seat and the child who must depend on it.Radian seats successfully NCAP crash test at both 45 lbs RF and 80 lbs FF without relying the top tether.
Why crash test with no top tether?While we always recommend top tether use, car seat safety should not depend on it: 1)Many seating locations or vehicles do not have top tether anchor points 2)Most vehicles do not allow top tether use with children above 48 lbs 3)Studies show that less than 30% of car seats are installed with top tether
Does the 80 lb lower anchor limit apply to all LATCH equipped vehicles?The 80 lb lower anchor limit for U.S. RadianRXT and RadianR120 (and 65 lb limit for RadianR100) is only for vehicles manufactured after September 1, 2005 when vehicle lower anchor strength requirements were increased.
Why are car seats rated to 65 lb LATCH / UAS capacity in Canada, but not in the U.S.?Top tether usage is a legal requirement in Canada and fines are issued if tether is not used.Canadian standards are based only on crash testing using top tether.While Canada requires stronger vehicle tether anchors, there is no NCAP testing requirement.
Can I order replacement SuperLATCH parts for a Radian seat and use it up to the higher LATCH capacities?Replacement SuperLATCH components can be ordered, but Radian seats can only be used up to the LATCH/UAS capacity stated on the stickers that are affixed to the seat.
Why does Radian have a removable rear-facing base?Radian’s unique base simplifies and stabilizes rear-facing installation. Radian performs extremely well in rear-facing crash tests. A removable base allows Radian to be positioned lower on the vehicle seat for improved forward-facing safety and convenience.
Can I fit 3 Radian seats in my vehicle?Fitting 3 Radian seats side by side requires a minimum interior width of 49” (51” for minivans), as measured from door arm rest to door arm rest across the back seat.
Can I install Radian in a center seating position using LATCH / UAS?Diono allows installation utilizing non-standard LATCH/UAS anchor spacing with Radian a) if the vehicle mfg allows the use of LATCH/UAS in a middle seating position and b) if user can achieve a tight car seat installation as per Radian’s instruction manual and c) if lower anchor spacing is between 11” and 14”. Important: Only one child seat LATCH/UAS connector can be attached to a vehicle lower anchor at any one time.