Going on a family car trip, parents simply have to worry about the safety of the child. In many countries, a prerequisite for transporting children in cars is the availability of a specialized chair. But the point is not even compliance with traffic rules. Health, safety and comfort of the child, in this case, above all.
It’s not enough to get a good device. It still needs to be fixed correctly. Installation of a child seat is not easy enough. Depending on the model, year of manufacture, mounting systems and other parameters of the car seat, there are many differences. Of course, the easiest way is to turn to specialists for help. And you can carefully study the rules for installing a child seat and do the work yourself.
Why do I need a chair for a child
The world around us is moving faster and faster every year. Children from the very first days of life become active researchers. Safe transportation of the child in the car is the responsibility of responsible parents.
Installing a child seat in a car takes very little time. However, this step will protect your baby from many dangers. Convenient design, specially designed taking into account the size of the child, built-in additional seat belts, comfortable headrest - all this will protect the baby as much as possible in the event of an accident.
When creating children's car seats, manufacturers focus not only on the comfort of the baby, but also on the convenience for parents. Installing a child seat on a vehicle should be simple and quick, effortless. Upholstery should also be easy to remove. In this case, it can be washed, providing the child with the necessary level of hygiene.
You need to use a car seat right from the birth of the crumbs. For this, special devices are provided. Some parents claim that the child receives the best protection if they are in the arms of their mother while moving. This mistake can cost the baby health, and even life. The fact is that in a sudden collision, the child’s body weight instantly increases by 20–25 times. Therefore, even if your baby weighs only 4-5 kg, at the time of the accident, your mother will immediately have at least 80, or even 120 kg. To maintain such a weight is almost impossible. Therefore, the installation of a child seat is not just a whim of the traffic police, but a vital necessity.
Pros of a child seat
The main advantages of car seats:
- keep the child from chaotic movements around the car;
- securely fix the baby and do not allow him to be injured at the time of an accident or sudden braking;
- allow the driver not to be distracted from driving;
- enable other passengers to free their hands and ensure their own safety;
- easy to install and do not require special skills;
- They are small and do not take up much space in the car;
- save from a fine and unnecessary questions when dealing with traffic police.
Cons of car seats
However, these devices have disadvantages:
- children, especially small ones, do not like movement restriction too much;
- require selection based on the age, weight and height of the child;
- need frequent replacement, because the child grows fast enough;
- some models of seats require a special mount in the car;
- Really high-quality car seats for children are expensive, and given the fact that they will have to be changed several times, the purchase completely falls out of the budget category.
What are baby seats
Installing a child seat in the back seat is not so difficult. It is important to choose a device that is suitable for your baby by age, weight and other indicators. There are several types of car seats. For convenience, they are clearly divided into several groups.
Group "0". Such devices are used for the smallest passengers weighing up to 11 kg. They are a special cradle equipped with additional seat belts, with which the device is mounted on the rear seat. The infant carrier is equipped with additional protection for the baby’s head, and before starting to move it should be fastened with special strong but flexible straps.
Group "0+". Such a device looks like a bowl and is designed to carry passengers weighing up to 15 kg. Most often, these models are incredibly functional. They are used as a car seat, a rocking chair for the baby, a chair or a cradle. And if you put such a device on the wheels, you get a full-fledged stroller. For ease of transportation, the 0+ car seat is equipped with a sturdy handle. Set it on the seat against the direction of travel of the car.
Group "0 / + 1". This car seat is used to transport children weighing up to 17 kg and up to 3.5 years of age. While the child is small, it is installed the other way around, like the previous version. For an older child, the chair is allowed to be turned over and fixed in the direction of movement of the machine.
Group 1. This option is used for babies who can confidently sit on their own, from 10 months to 3.5-4 years. There is a rigid base, adjustable backrest, durable seat belts. So that the child does not get bored on the road, many models are equipped with a work table, toys can be placed on it. The weight of the baby who is able to hold such a model is from 8 to 17 kg.
Group 2. The chair can be used up to the age of five. It is capable of supporting up to 24 kg. However, it is important to consider the individual size of the child. This is especially important in the cold season, when the child is securely “packed” in a warm jumpsuit. A large child can just be cramped, while a relatively small baby will fall deep in the seat.
Group 2/3. This is a fairly universal option. It is suitable for children from 5 to 13 years old, weighing up to 38 kg and growing up to 160 cm. There are already not internal but external seat belts, and the back has a slight anatomical slope. A feature of such models is a detachable booster - a special seat that can be used separately for older children.
Group 3. This model does not have a back and headrest and consists only of a booster. It looks like a regular pillow with armrests. Such a car seat can be used no earlier than the child's weight reaches 23–25 kg.
Group 1/2/3. The most universal model that can transform as a child grows up. Such devices are the most expensive. However, their equipment is the most complete. This is a great option for a child who is growing rapidly and has already left one group, but has not yet reached the other.
By the way, choosing a chair for a child, make sure that the model is designed specifically for the car. Installing a child seat on a bicycle is completely different. And the models are very different.
Mount Options
After the model is determined, installation of a child seat in the car begins. The layout of the fixtures and the sequence of actions are most often described in detail in the instructions. There are 4 main varieties of car seat mounting systems for babies.
1. Fastening by regular automobile belts. This type of installation is suitable for almost all vehicles. The only caveat: before buying a chair, it is important to make sure that the length of your own belts is sufficient for reliable fixation of the device in the cabin. If this is not the case, you need to contact the service, where the belts can "build up" or notice on longer.
In this case, general instructions cannot be given. Depending on the model of the device, they may have different mounting schemes. Most often, guides for belts have special signs or crib plates. With their help, just understand the installation.
It is very important to carefully follow the instructions and not allow amateur activities. It is also necessary to carefully ensure that the seat belts are not twisted and wrinkled. If you have even slightly changed the angle of the seatback, it is important to adjust the position of the child car seat.
2. Fastening with a rigid fixed base. Installing a child seat in the back seat will be as simple as possible if the model has a removable upper part and a special base. The latter is usually mounted on the seat. It is enough to firmly fix the base once in accordance with the instructions, and the process of installing a child seat will take a minimum of time. Just snap it into the special grooves.
Car seats with a rigid base have several more advantages. Firstly, many of them have a special metal arc, with the help of which the chair additionally rests on the back of the car seat. Secondly, often there is another level of security - a special leg for fixing to the floor of the car. This gives the structure additional rigidity and stability.
3. ISOFIX auto-mount system. This method of fixation has been specially developed to simplify the installation of a child seat in the back seat of the car. That is what most foreign-made cars are equipped with.
Between the seat and the back of the rear passenger sofa, special metal brackets are mounted that are rigidly attached to the car body. In the lower part of the child seat there is a reciprocal part equipped with special locks. To install a child seat, it is enough to simply combine both parts of the mechanism and push them until a characteristic click is heard.
Despite the incredible convenience, such a system has several disadvantages. First of all, a rigid mount facilitates the transmission of vibration to the child’s seat. In addition, you can install such a chair only in those car brands that are equipped with special reinforcements. Well, the last detail - car seats with the ISOFIX mounting system cost a lot.
4. SURELATCH mounting system. This system is designed to minimize the disadvantages of ISOFIX. It also uses rigid brackets mounted on the car body. But the counter mount to them is made in the form of special straps. For greater stability, a third fulcrum is provided. From the upper part of the back of the child seat, a fixing fastening belt departs, which is attached to the bracket on the machine body or the back of the back of the adult seat.
Such a system does not allow the transmission of vibration to the children's car seat and provides additional cushioning. Belts are equipped with inertial tensioners. This allows you to fix the car seat without regularly adjusting the length of the belt.
How to place the seat with the greatest security
The correct and safe installation of a child seat also depends on where to fix the device. There are several options:
1. On the right side of the rear sofa, behind the passenger. This place is considered quite safe. According to statistics, fewer bumps occur in this part of the car in the event of an accident. It is located in the opposite corner from the oncoming lane of cars. For the convenience of communicating with the child, it is better to fix an additional mirror. You will not be able to see the baby in the main rearview mirror.
The back right seat is also convenient because the child will be able to get in / out from the sidewalk rather than from the carriageway. This is an additional safety factor.
2. On the left side of the rear sofa, behind the driver. Installing a child seat in the back seat behind the driver's back has long been considered the most secure. It is believed that in the event of an accident, the driver will automatically remove himself from the blow, and, therefore, the child will not suffer. With this arrangement, the baby is convenient to watch using a traditional rearview mirror.
If the child’s seat is placed behind the driver, the passenger sitting in front can easily reach him if necessary. But if the driver is alone with the child, then, if necessary, reach the baby, he will not be able to do this. In addition, the pick-up / drop-off of a small passenger will take place directly from the roadway, and this is not always safe.
3. In the back seat, in the middle. This option is today recognized as optimal. According to the latest research conducted by experts at the University of Buffalo, this position of the child seat is 16% safer than others. Whichever side the blow followed, this place is located in the "indestructible" zone. Consequently, the child will suffer the least.
4. Sideways. A special type of installation are car seats. Manufacturers recommend placing them in the back seat, with the headboard in the middle of the car. That is, the child will be perpendicular to the vehicle, feet to the door.
Can I put a chair in the front seat
If mom is driving, in special cases it is permissible to place the cradle in the front seat. At the same time, the installation of a child seat in the direction of travel is prohibited.
Here it is important to weigh the pros and cons well. Experts believe that the front passenger seat is the most dangerous place in the car. Indeed, in the event of an accident, the driver instinctively tries to get away from the blow and it is the right front of the car that gets the most damage.
If there are no other installation options, experts recommend disabling the right airbag. When triggered, it can hit the car seat and harm the child. In addition, it is recommended that you move the front seat back as far as possible.
Along the way or against?
It is important for parents to remember the rule: children under 1 year old must ride in a car exclusively with their backs forward. This is due to the fact that the head of a small child is large enough and weighs a lot. At the same time, the cervical vertebrae are still quite weak and, in the case of sudden inhibition, may not be able to cope with the load.
Older children can ride forward.
Installation Steps: Instruction
Each model is certainly equipped with instructions for installing a child seat. If you carefully study it, problems with the placement of a child's seat in the car should not arise. However, there are general principles that will help to cope with the task.
Here is a small installation diagram of a child seat with a traditional belt mount:
- Before starting work, push the front seat forward as far as possible. So you free up more space and it will be more convenient to work.
- Place the car seat in the selected location. Take the fixing belt and pull it strictly along the intended area. Use the tips located on the chair itself, if any.
- Using force, tighten the seat belt as much as possible.
- Make sure that the shoulder area of the belt is also fastened.
- Make sure that the belt passes exactly as indicated in the instructions. Do not let him touch other parts of the chair. With sudden braking, the mount may not withstand friction and spontaneously unfasten.
- Fasten the fixing belt so that it is in the middle of the shoulder of a small passenger. If you fix it too high, it will shift to the neck and become an additional threat. If the fastener belt is too low, it will simply slide off the child’s shoulder and lose its effectiveness.
- At the end of work, pull the car seat strongly. It is important to make sure that it is fixed firmly. However, a slight backlash is allowed.
- Set the baby in a chair and fasten it tightly. Make sure that the seat belts do not twist or slip. Do not fasten too tightly. 1-2 fingers should be placed between the child’s body and the belt.
- If the child car seat has an additional mount in the form of an upper strap, lift the headrest, put it into a special bracket and secure it on the back of the adult seat or on the car body.
Reviews and rules for using a child car seat
Most models of car seats for children have both positive and negative reviews. One likes the budget options, which are fastened with ordinary belts. Others prefer complex designs, since they believe that the main thing is the safety of the child. The choice will depend on the financial capabilities of the parents and the technical features of the car. ISOFIX, , , , .
, :
- When installing the device, strictly follow all the requirements of the instructions.
- If there are several children in the car, each of them must have a personal seat.
- Before you start driving, be sure to check the reliability of the car seat. If you notice significant play, tighten the retainer firmly.
- Do not forget to fasten your child's seat belts.
- Carefully make sure that the chair is suitable for the child in age and size. If necessary, buy a new one as soon as possible.
Compliance with these carriage rules will ensure that the restraint is correctly used and your child can ride safely.