This is a world apart, which must be taken into high consideration, since it is the safety and lives of our children that we are dealing with.
Although the law unfortunately allows the use of forward-facing restraint systems after 9kg, this is not at all safe.
Countries that are aware of this issue, such as Sweden and Norway, do not have child deaths on the roads because they do not use child restraints. It is not safe, they are not used!
It has been proven that traveling with children in reverse gear, as late as possible, saves lives. It saves your child's life.
And there are, unfortunately, parents who have lost their children in traffic accidents, and who are trying to warn the world so that they do not suffer like they did. An example of this: https://www.facebook.com/Gabrielelvikingo/
Gabriel became pentaplegic, the result of an internal decapitation. He was riding a Pallas and ended up dying shortly afterwards.
If you go to Google and search, there are countless cases of children who died or suffered very serious injuries from going to FF too early.
Children should have 3 chairs, depending on their growth and development:
- 0+ (egg)
- 1/2 (car seat)
- 2/3 (chair with backrest and lift)
Children's age, weight and height
The child's percentile can be an important indicator for choosing a chair, since a baby in the 15th percentile and one in the 95th percentile are very different, and may reach the chair's height or weight limit. We can adapt the best possible chair, taking into account each child and specific cases.
ISOFIX
There are two European regulations in force, R44/014 and R129 (isofix).
Current cars have isofix, and the R129 standard replaces R44.
Isofix is a way of installing car seats that tries to avoid human installation errors as much as possible, to maximize safety.
Chairs with the new regulations come with limits of 18kg or 105cm (around 4 years).
“Are approved chairs tested?
Yes. All seats approved under the R44/04 and R129 (i-Size) standards undergo testing before being approved. However, these tests are not considered sufficient by some independent organizations. Believe it or not, the R44/04 standard does not require side impact testing to approve seats, for example.
The approval tests are not very demanding and do not focus on safety. The law even allows children to travel in the forward-facing position after they weigh 9 kg.
There are additional tests from various entities, with speeds and impact tests with dummies, such as ADAC or Selo Plus Test, which assess the safety of car seats in more detail.
ADAC carries out tests to measure frontal and side impacts. The seats are purchased anonymously on the market and are tested under extreme conditions. In addition to carrying out a greater number of tests, the impact test speeds are higher than those required by the homologation standards.
PLUS TEST
The Plus Test seal is what guarantees that the child is not exposed to high forces on the neck, always following the manufacturer's installation instructions.
Complementary test to those of European regulations. Greater security guaranteed, as well as other independent tests that exist.
Only exclusive RF chairs can have Plus test. And we only know the chairs that have been approved with the seal. It is the brands themselves that apply for this analysis.
The test itself consists of simulating a frontal collision at 56.5 km/h, with a short and strong braking distance, making the impact even more serious.
RF up to 18 or 25kg
There are chairs with RF up to 18 or 25 kg, the baby's percentile can help limit options.
18kg is about 4 years.
25kg is about 6 years.
Rotation
There are chairs that have a rotating base. These chairs must be installed with Isofix.
Budget available
There are chairs with plus test and extended RF up to 18kg from 190eur to almost 600eur, depending on the necessary requirements.
Used chairs
Britax, for example, recommends changing the car seat after an accident/crash at 10km/h.
You should never buy used chairs, as you will never know if they have been involved in risky situations that could put your child's safety at risk.
Validity on chairs?
Chairs have a lifespan. About 6 to 8 years. Most last 4 years. You should check the date of manufacture and the manufacturer's instructions.
Plastics and foams become damaged when exposed to heat, sun, cold and humidity in the car. Over the years, this can compromise the safety of children and the response in the event of a collision.
Never make it easy.
