Upvote:1
CARES Child Aviation Restraint System is designed specifically for aviation use for children age 1 and older who weigh between 22 and 44 pounds. These youngsters are old enough to be in their own seats, but are too small for the seat belt alone to protect them and provide the safety they require during airplane travel. Their bodies cannot withstand the jolts that are common in routine air travel, much less emergency situations, and they flail forward or slide beneath the seat belt if they are not held securely in place.
CARES is the first and only harness type Aviation Child Safety Device to be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as an alternative to a car seat.
Upvote:3
The 'Child Safety' page has some information on this. Mostly it says that child safety restraint systems (CRS) get approved for traffic and/or airline use by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, but that FAA does not control all of the approvals. And stresses to check that the CRS has the label:
This restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft
It further uses four categories based on the weight of the child:
- Less than 20 pounds: Rear-facing CRS
- 20 to 40 pounds: Forward-facing CRS
- 22 to 44 pounds: CARES child safety device
- More than 40 pounds: Airplane seat belt
With the CARES device being that described in @Darren's answer and by the FAA:
The CARES Child Safety Device is the only FAA-approved harness-type restraint for children weighing between 22 and 44 pounds. This type of device provides an alternative to using a hard-backed seat and is approved only for use on aircraft. The CARES Child Safety Device is not approved for use in motor vehicles. Learn more about CARES.
And if you're getting one of them, you should check:
If you're using a CARES child safety device, make sure it has "FAA Approved in Accordance with 14 CFR 21.8(d), Approved for Aircraft Use Only" or "FAA Approved in Accordance with 14 CFR 21.305(d), Amd 21.50 6-9-1980, Approved for Aircraft Use Only" on it.