How to Choose the Right car Seat to Protect your Child in the Car

Short trips: Accidents most often occur on short trips: tie your children up when you drive them to school, even if the distance is short. In the city,the speed is lower, but you should know that a shock at 50 km/h is fatal in 60% of cases when you are not belted.

The child in the back: the fact that the child is in the back is not enough to protect him if he is not belted: in case of impact he is thrown violently against the windshield. Child seat attachment:

The seat must be securely secured, the seat belt that must be tightly stretched, otherwise the seat is ineffective.

The “Isofix” system has been in place, since 2002, gradually for new cars. He no longer uses the seat belt to attach the child seat to the car: the child seat is secured directly rigidly by two arms that are engaged in two fixed anchors, welded to the floor of the car, at the intersection of the backrest center console armrest cushion.

This system prevents the seat from tossing as is often the case with seat belts. It reduces the risk of incorrect use, which is often seen and is a common cause of worsening accidents. It is particularly suitable for “harness seats” of the 9–18 kg, but can also be marketed for back-to-road seats and boosters.

When buying a new child seat, if you own (or are planning to purchase) a car equipped with Isofix, choose a seat equipped with Isofix arms: there are some with sliding arms, which can be installed with both the classic belts and the Isofix stirrups.

What type of restraint to choose, depending on the child’s weight?

Below, we describe the characteristics that restraints need to have to achieve the highest level of safety for your child. Other devices more or less different nevertheless comply with the European standard ECE 44/03 (see below) When buying, do not look at the price: your child’s life is priceless!

Child under 13 kg

Two approved solutions: the back-to-road seat and the gondola bed At this age, the child’s head is heavy relative to his or her body. Its necks are still very fragile: we therefore strongly recommend choosing the solution of the seat “back to the road” (face to back) , rather than the gondola bed which is registered but does not have the same safety.

With a back-to-roadseat, in case of impact, the child will be well placed in his seat, while with a “feet forward” seat, his head would be thrown violently forward in case of impact, and this could result in fractures of the spinal cord.

On a back-to-road seat, the child will be in a semi-elongated position, and will sleep as well as in a bed-pod. The back seat to the road is either in the front seat(if there is no air bag or if it is disconnected),or in the back seat, with a three-point belt.

Child between 9 and 18 kg

There are also some “back to the road” seats, such as for under 13 kg, which are suitable for up to 18 kg, but for this weight range (9–18 kg) you can use the “roadside” seats (feet forward), and there you have the choice between: — the classic seat with harness, 5 or 3 straps; one of the straps must be “between legs” to prevent the child from slipping from under.

This is the seat we recommend for this age. The seat with a protective tablet (shield): it’s a very easy system to install. It is positionable on a three-point belt or a two-point belt (note that eventually the two-point belts are expected to disappear)

Child between 15 and 36 kg

The child can use devices with which he is normally held by the three-point belt of the vehicle. You have the choice between: the booster with armrests. It is very advisable to choose a booster with the following three devices: a backrest with side protections and a strap guide to properly calibrate the passage of the three-point belt.