What you need to know about children's car seats. What should be a safe chair?

Car Seat Requirements

Requirements for children's car seats established by the Rules of the European Economic Commission (UNEC) No. 44-04. The agreement on ensuring the safety of children in the car was made in 1958 in Geneva with the support of the UN.

All car seats that are sold in Europe since 2009, must fully comply with the fourth edition. The fourth edition was adopted on June 23, 2005. The standard requires additional product testing and quality control at work. Safety seats must be marked with ECE R44/04, which means that the car seat is made in compliance with the fourth edition.

Product Marking

Marking of restraints should be clearly marked and indelible. The label should contain the following information:

• Full or short name of the manufacturer or brand (trademark), year of manufacture of the chair.
• Information about specific features that in some way affect security (if any).
• Quality label "E" or "e".

The sign with the capital letter E and the number that are placed in a circle is a confirmation that the chair complies with all European standards. The digital index is the country code that officially confirms compliance (1-Germany, 2-France, 3-Italy, 9-Spain, 11-UK, and so on).

Groups and categories of car seats for children

Children's car seats are divided into 5 groups, which differ in weight:

• 0-for children weighing less than 10 kilograms.
• 0+-for children weighing less than 13 kilograms.
• I-for children weighing 9-18 kilograms.
• II-for children weighing 15-25 kilograms.
• III-for children weighing 22-36 kilograms.

Manufacturers make car seats for children of different ages. Chairs correspond to the approximate age of the child:

• "0" and "0+"-from the birth of a child up to 1-1.5 years old (autolyuts, car cracks).
• "0+" and "I"-from the birth of a child to 4-4.5 years. These seats can be installed along the way, and against the movement of the car.
• "I"-from nine months to 4-4.5 years.
• "II" and "III"-from 3 to 12 years old (car seats and boosters). Chairs in this category are usually equipped with an adjustable backrest or headrest.

Most often in the market there are car seats in which these groups are combined with each other, making the device more versatile for different ages of the child.

Among other things, the auto seat can be universal (can be used on most cars) and semi-universal (approved only for certain types of cars).

Mounts

Usually, the seat is attached to a car seat using standard seat belts or using a special ISOFIX mount.

Fastening "isofix" provides for the presence of special brackets on the lower platform of the car seat. This mount perfectly protects the seat from overturning, but, unfortunately, not all cars support the ability to install a car seat with ISOFIX.

With car belts, things are easier. In the groups “0”, “0+” and “I” they are passed through special holes in the brackets on the chair body or through the openings. In order to eliminate the possibility of fixation failure due to belt slippage, it must be securely fixed with a special clip. Holding the child in the device is three-point (Y-shaped, in which there are 2 sections on the shoulders and 1 between the legs) or five-point (2 sections on the shoulders, 2 on the sides and 1 between the legs) with a seat belt.

Children's car seats of “2” and “3” groups do not have built-in belts, and children are locked together with a seat by car seat belts. Children are also fastened in the same way when using a booster with armrests.

In order to provide maximum comfort to the baby, car seats are available in orthopedic form. The framework to be made from light metal or shock-resistant plastic. The lining is made from various hypoallergenic materials. Most devices have reinforced side walls to protect against side collisions.

Additional recommendations

Before you buy a car seat, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

• You should not buy a used car seat unless you are sure that its elements do not have significant wear and the seat itself did not participate in the accident.
• No need to take a seat "for growth" when the weight of the child does not match his group. In this case, there is no guarantee that the chair will be safe.
• The younger the child, the more important it is for him to sleep comfortably during the trip. Therefore, the child restraint should lean in several positions.
• It is also recommended that the chair has the ability to adjust the width and height of the backrest, the length of the cushion, and for seat belts there should be special locks. A restrictive table will be very useful for a child, which will additionally protect him in a collision.

The upholstery of the chair should unfasten freely (for example, for washing) and promote good ventilation so that the child does not sweat or overheat.

You should carefully read the installation instructions and make sure that the seat is suitable for the car. For example, full-time security, which is used for fastening avtolyulek, may be excessively short.

The instruction manual must be attached with the car seat and contain the following information: weight group, detailed and understandable pictures with the rules of installation, adjustment and operation, as well as warnings about errors that may occur during installation.

Remember, child safety is the most important thing. It is better not to spare money and get a good car seat. buy a baby car seat in Odessa, Kharkov and Kiev at 130.com.ua with delivery in Ukraine.

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