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Types of Child Safety Seats and
General Child Seat Use Information
The child restraint must
provide protection in any position in which it is designed
to be used. It must be designed to be secured to the vehicle
structure or to the seat structure, either by the adult seat
belt or specific anchorages. |
United Nations ECE Regulation No. 44
"Uniform Provisions Concerning the Approval
of Restraining Devices for Child Occupants of Power-Driven Vehicles
('Child Restraint Systems')"
To conform to the
Regulation, a child restraint must meet a series of design and
construction requirements and pass a series of performance tests.
| The information below was gathered from the
NHTSA website at
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps/AreYouUsing/Index.htm
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Children are safest when properly
restrained in the
back seat. |
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Restraints in Groups 0, 0+ and I
restraint systems must keep the child positioned to give the
required protection even when the child is asleep. The design of
rear-facing restraints must ensure that support for the child's
head is provided.
Rear
facing Baby Seats Connected correctly .
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Rear
facing Baby Seats
Group 0:
for babies up to 10 kgs (22 lbs) roughly from birth to 6-9
months, or
 Group
0+: for
babies up to 13kg (29lbs) roughly from birth to 12-15
months
They can be used in the front or rear of
the car. It is safer to put them in the rear. DO NOT
put them in the front passenger seat if there is a passenger
airbag. Re
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THE RIGHT ANGLE
Used
with a detachable base, this rear-facing infant seat
is positioned at approximately a 45-degree angle
(check the manufacturer’s recommendation for the
correct angle).
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- Harness chest clip is
correctly positioned at the child’s
mid-chest or armpit level.
- Harness straps are snug
and straight.
- Rear-facing harness
straps should be positioned at, or
slightlybelow, the child’s shoulders.
A
harness chest clip should be positioned at the
child’s mid-chest or
armpit level. This keeps the shoulder straps in
the correct position
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| Rear-Facing Convertible Seats |
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The information below was gathered from the
NHTSA website at
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps/AreYouUsing/Index.htm
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BELOW THE SHOULDERS
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If a restraint is to be used with an
adult seat belt, the correct routing of the
seat belt webbing must be clearly indicated
by a drawing permanently attached to the
restraint.
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Child's Position
Restraints in Groups 0, 0+ and I restraint systems must
keep the child positioned to give the required
protection even when the child is asleep. The design of
rear-facing restraints must ensure that support for the
child's head is provided.
Seat Belt Routing
If a
restraint is to be used with an adult seat belt, the
correct routing of the seat belt webbing must be clearly
indicated by a drawing permanently attached to the
restraint.
If the restraint is held in place by the seat
belt, the route(s) of the webbing must clearly marked
and color coded red for forward-facing seats and blue
for rearward facing ones.
Restraints in Groups I, 2 and 3, must positively guide
the "lap strap" to ensure that the loads transmitted by
the "lap strap" are transmitted through the pelvis.
To
prevent slipping under the harness, either by impact or
through restlessness, a crotch strap is required on all
forward-facing Group I restraints which incorporate an
integral harness.
"EXTREME HAZARD - Do not use in passenger seats
equipped with airbags".
Child restraints
that can be used forward and rear facing, must have a
warning including the words:
"IMPORTANT - DO NOT USE FORWARD
FACING BEFORE THE CHILD'S WEIGHT EXCEEDS xx (Refer to
instructions)"
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- Harness straps
on rear-facing seats should be positioned
at, or slightly below, the child’s
shoulders.
- Harness chest
clip is in the correct location.
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Harness
straps are snug and straight.
For a snug fit,
adjust harness straps so they lie in a
straight line without sagging. Place the
chest clip at the armpit level.
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The Buckle
The buckle must be easy to operate and it must be
possible to open it and release the child from the
restraint by a single operation on a button or
similar device. Opening the buckle must enable the
child to be removed independently of the "chair",
"chair support" or "impact shield", if fitted, and
if the restraint includes a crotch strap, the crotch
strap must be released by operation of the same
buckle.
It must not
be possible for the buckle to be left in a partially
closed position and it must only lock when all parts
are engaged. The operation of the buckle must be
immediately obvious to a rescuer in an emergency.
The buckle release area must be red, but no other
part of the buckle should be this color.
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If the restraint is held
in place by the seat belt, the route(s) of the webbing
must clearly marked and color coded red for
forward-facing seats and blue for rearward facing ones.
Restraints in Groups I, 2 and 3, must positively guide
the "lap strap" to ensure that the loads transmitted by
the "lap strap" are transmitted through the pelvis.
To
prevent slipping under the harness, either by impact or
through restlessness, a crotch strap is required on all
forward-facing Group I restraints which incorporate an
integral harness.
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| THE RIGHT ANGLE |
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- Child restraint is
positioned at approximately
a 45-degree angle (check the manufacturer’s
recommendation for the correct angle).
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Harness straps and chest clip
are correctly positioned on the child’s body.
- Child seat is secured
using the correct belt path.
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Forward-facing child seat
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Restraints in Groups
I, 2 and 3, must positively guide the "lap strap" to ensure that
the loads transmitted by the "lap strap" are transmitted through
the pelvis.
Group 1: for children weighing 9-18
kgs (20-40 lbs) roughly from 9 months - 4 years.
Once children have outgrown a rearwards
facing seat, the best option is to use a Group 1 seat with an
integral harness, the large area of the harness helps to reduce
the risk of injury if there is a crash. The bottom attachment
between the legs will also prevent the child from sliding under,
and out of, the harness.
They can be used in the front or rear of the
car, but it is safer to put them in the rear, especially if
there is a passenger airbag in the front.
Once again, it is safest to keep children in
this type of system until they have outgrown it. Only move your
child to a booster seat once they have exceeded the maximum
weight for the child seat, or the top of their head is higher
than the top of the seat.
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When children first move out of the
forward-facing child seats into booster seats and cushions,
initially, ones with backs may provide a better fit for the seat
belt. Booster seats with side wings will also help to prevent
injury in a side impact by protecting a child's head, and on
several seats, the height of the side wings can be adjusted as
the child grows.
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The information below was gathered from the
NHTSA website at
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps/AreYouUsing/Index.htm
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| OVER AND ABOVE |
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Harness chest clip is
positioned at the child’s mid-chest or
armpit area
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Harness straps on forward-facing
restraints should be positioned at,
or slightly above, the child’s shoulders.
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Harness straps are snug
and straight.
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Children should remain in a forward facing
child restraint until they are approximately
40 pounds and 4 years of age.
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| Booster
seats and Booster
cushions |
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For
Group 2 and 3 child restraints, the child occupant must be able
to reach the buckle.
Group 2: for children weighing 15 - 25 kgs (33 - 55 lbs) roughly
4 to 6 years.
Group 3: for children weighing 22 -
36 kgs (48 - 79 lbs) roughly from 6 - 11 years.
Booster seats that only fit into
Group 2 or only into Group 3 are no longer produced and modern
booster seats are designed for children between 15kg and 36kg
(33 - 79 lbs).
Booster cushions can be approved for
Groups 2 and Group 3, although some are only approved for just
Group 3. You should ensure your child is within the weight range
of any booster seat or booster cushion.
Some booster seats are designed to
be converted into a booster cushion by detaching the back rest,
and you should always check the manufacturers advice about when
and how to do this.
Booster seats and booster cushions
do not have an integral harness to hold the child in place. The
adult seat belt goes around the child and the seat. So it is
important that the seat belt is correctly adjusted. The basic
points to note are:
- the belt should be worn as
tight as possible
- the lap belt should go over
the pelvic region, not the stomach
- the diagonal strap should
rest over the shoulder, not the neck
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| The information below
was gathered from the NHTSA website at
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps/AreYouUsing/Index.htm
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| RAISE THEM
UP |
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 No-back
booster is used to correctly position the
child in a vehicle lap/shoulder belt.
- Booster seat
correctly positions the lap belt across the
child's upper thighs and the shoulder belt
across the chest.
High-back and no-back
booster seats are for children who have outgrown
child safety seats, at 40 lbs, and are not large
enough for the vehicle belt system. Children
should use a belt positioning booster seat until
they are at least 8 years old or 4’9” tall.
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Always use the lap/shoulder
belt combination with a belt-positioning booster. Never
use a lap belt only.
- High-back booster is
used to correctly position the
vehicle lap/shoulder belt on the child; correctly
positioning the lap belt across the child’s upper
thighs and the shoulder belt across the chest.
- A safety belt system
may not fit properly on children who cannot sit all
the way back against the vehicle seat with knees
bent comfortably over the edge of the vehicle seat.
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Things To Avoid :
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THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE
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THE "CHILD CRUSHER" POSITION
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- Infant carriers
are not designed to protect infants in a
crash. They do not have a belt path or a
label stating they meet federal motor
vehicle safety standards.
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 Child
is unrestrained and should be in the child
restraint in the back seat. No adult can
safely transport a child on his/her lap.
A lap-held,
unrestrained child is in the “child crusher”
position.
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A LACK OF RESTRAINT
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AVOID
CHILD'S PLAY |
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 Hard
toys and other objects can become dangerous
projectiles during hard braking and crash
situations. Use soft toys only.
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child should never be unrestrained in any
vehicle seat, with or without an air bag system.
Always use the
correct child restraint system. Never use
pillows, books or towels to boost a child.
Doing so can compromise your child’s safety.
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United Nations ECE
Regulations and Safety Standards
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Safety Standards : ECE
R44.03 and ECE R44.04
Child restraints (baby
seats, child seats, booster seats and booster cushions) sold in
the UK must conform to the United Nations ECE Regulation R44.03
or later standard (R44.04).
(Child restraints that
conform to a British Standard or to an earlier version of R44,
may continue to be used, although as these will now be several
years old, parents should consider replacing them with a seat
that conforms to R44.03 or R44.04).
The standard, ECE R44.04, was introduced at the end of June
2005, and all new child car seats had to meet this standard from
the end of June 2006.
United Nations ECE Regulation No. 44
"Uniform Provisions Concerning the
Approval of Restraining Devices for Child Occupants of
Power-Driven Vehicles ('Child Restraint Systems')"
To conform to the
Regulation, a child restraint must meet a series of design and
construction requirements and pass a series of performance
tests.
Main Design Requirements
The child restraint must provide
protection in any position in which it is designed to be used.
It must be designed to be secured to the vehicle structure or to
the seat structure, either by the adult seat belt or specific
anchorages.
Seat Belt Routing
If a restraint is to be
used with an adult seat belt, the correct routing of the seat
belt webbing must be clearly indicated by a drawing permanently
attached to the restraint.
If the
restraint is held in place by the seat belt, the route(s) of the
webbing must clearly marked and color coded red for
forward-facing seats and blue for rearward facing ones.
Restraints in Groups I,
2 and 3, must positively guide the "lap strap" to ensure that
the loads transmitted by the "lap strap" are transmitted through
the pelvis.
To prevent slipping
under the harness, either by impact or through restlessness, a
crotch strap is required on all forward-facing Group I
restraints which incorporate an integral harness.
The Buckle
The buckle must be easy to operate and it must be possible to
open it and release the child from the restraint by a single
operation on a button or similar device. Opening the buckle must
enable the child to be removed independently of the "chair",
"chair support" or "impact shield", if fitted, and if the
restraint includes a crotch strap, the crotch strap must be
released by operation of the same buckle.
It must not be possible
for the buckle to be left in a partially closed position and it
must only lock when all parts are engaged. The operation of the
buckle must be immediately obvious to a rescuer in an emergency.
The buckle release area must be red, but no other part of the
buckle should be this color.
For Group 2 and 3 child restraints, the
child occupant must be able to reach the buckle.
Child's Position
Restraints in Groups 0, 0+ and I restraint systems must keep the
child positioned to give the required protection even when the
child is asleep. The design of rear-facing restraints must
ensure that support for the child's head is provided.
Performance Tests
Child restraints must pass a series of performance tests:
Impact Tests
Frontal Impact
The child restraint is fitted onto a vehicle or a test trolley
in a vehicle body. Test dummies of various sizes (appropriate to
the child restraint) are fitted into the restraint. This is then
accelerated at 50 km/h towards a block of reinforced concrete
weighing at least 70 tons.
Rear Impact
A rigid steel impactor at least 2,500 mm
wide and 800 mm high is accelerated towards the rear of the
'vehicle' so that it strikes the 'vehicle' at between 30 and 32
km/h.
During the tests, the
test dummy must not be thrown forward more than a set distance
and it must not receive an impact force above a specified level.
No part of the child restraint that helps to keep the child in
position shall break, and no buckles or locking system shall
release. The seat belt must not become disengaged from any guide
or locking device.
Overturning
A test dummy is strapped into the restraint according to the
manufacturer's instructions. The restraint is fastened to a test
or vehicle seat, which is rotated through an angle of 360
degrees at a speed of 2-5 degrees/second. When the seat is
upside down, the dummy's head must not move more than 300 mm
from its original position in a vertical direction relative to
the test seat.
Buckle
The buckle is opened and closed 5,000 times, and must still
operate properly after the impact tests described above.
Markings
The restraint must be clearly and indelibly marked with:
the manufacturer's name, initials or
trade mark
the year of production
the international approval mark - a
circle surrounding the letter "E", an approval number
and the symbols: E/ECE/324
the weight range for which the child
restraint has been designed
an address to which the customer can write to obtain
further information on fitting the child restraint in
specific cars.
Rear
facing child restraints must have a permanently attached label,
visible in the installed position, with the warning: "EXTREME
HAZARD - Do not use in passenger seats equipped with airbags".
Child restraints that
can be used forward and rear facing, must have a warning
including the words: "IMPORTANT - DO NOT USE FORWARD FACING
BEFORE THE CHILD'S WEIGHT EXCEEDS xx (Refer to instructions)"
Instructions
The child restraint must be accompanied
by instructions in the language of the country where the device
is sold, including the following:
The weight groups for which the
device is intended.
The method of installation
illustrated by photographs and/or very clear drawings.
A
recommendation that rigid items and plastic parts must
be installed so that they are not liable, during
everyday use of the vehicle, to become trapped by a
movable seat or in a vehicle door.
A recommendation to use carry-cots
perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.
For rearward
facing systems, a warning not to use them in seating
positions where there is an airbag installed (this
advice must also be clearly visible at the point of sale
without removing the packaging).
If the restraint is designed to be
used with an adult seat belt, advice about which type of
seat belt is suitable.
For seats that
can be used both forward and rear-facing, a clear
warning to keep the restraint rear-facing until the
child's weight is greater than a stated limit, or some
other dimensional criterion is exceeded.
A clear explanation of the operation
of the buckle and adjusting devices.
A
recommendation that any straps holding the restraint to
the vehicle should be tight, that any straps restraining
the child should be adjusted to the child's body, and
that straps should not be twisted.
The importance of ensuring that lap
straps are worn low down over the pelvis.
A recommendation that the restraint
should be changed if it has been in an accident.
Instructions for cleaning.
A warning not
to make any alterations or additions to the restraint
and to follow the manufacturer's instructions when
installing and using it.
A recommendation that children are
not left in their child restraint unattended
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