FAQ /Frequently asked questions/

Car Seats

The “TOP TEN” mistakes when driving children

MISTAKE 1: CHILDREN ARE SIMPLY SAT ON A PASSENGER’S LAP

Anyone who thinks they can hold their child with their hands alone could not be more mistaken. Even the tiniest baby will be wrenched from your arms in a collision.

MISTAKE 2: BUCKLED UP TOGETHER

Even if the adult and child fasten the seat belt around them, they are putting their lives at risk. This is because the heavier body could easily crush the smaller body. Also, the seat belt may not rest in an ideal position.

MISTAKE 3: THE CHILD’S HARNESS IS NOT TIGHT ENOUGH

Please always check whether the harness is too loose every time it is fastened and adjust accordingly.

MISTAKE 4: BABY IN CARRY COT

You have placed your baby in a carry cot on the rear seat. This is something you should NEVER do! In the event of a frontal collision, the baby will be lifted out of the cot and catapulted forward!

MISTAKE 5: NO CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEM IS USED

Even at the slowest speeds, this can lead to death.

MISTAKE 6: ACTIVATED FRONT AIRBAG

Infant carriers is should never be used on a passenger seat if the front airbag is activated. If the passenger airbag remains activated and an infant carrier is placed on the front seat, this can lead to serious injury in an accident! The passenger seat may only be used for an infant carrier if the front airbag has been deactivated!

MISTAKE 7: INFANT CARRIER INSTALLED FORWARD FACING

If an infant carrier is installed facing-forward, this can have similar fatal consequences. In the event of a frontal collision, it could break the child’s neck since the head is still too heavy in comparison with the rest of the body. This is why infant carriers are designed, without exception, for rear-facing installation.

MISTAKE 8: WRONG INSTALLATION OF THE CAR SEAT

Your child could also be at risk of death if the seat is positioned the wrong way round, or using the wrong safety belt or if the belt is not secured tightly enough. Generally speaking, the tighter the connection between the seat and vehicle, the more protection the seat is able to provide.

MISTAKE 9: IMPROРER HANDLING

If the seat has been tampered with in any way, e.g. sewing or changing parts, the child’s safety can no longer be guaranteed. Missing parts can also have fatal consequences. A missing screw could be enough for the seat to break up on impact.

MISTAKE 10: DEFECTIVE CONDITION OF THE CAR SEAT

The child restraint system is not suitable for the child’s size and weight, the standard is out of date or the seat already contains hairline cracks, which can easily be the case with second-hand seats of unknown origin.

Rear-facing seats: Should the child safety seat point forwards or backwards?

Statistically, the risk of injury in the case of forward-facing Group I seats (approx. 9 months to 4 years) is significantly higher than for rear-facing seats in the 0+ category (from birth to approx.. 18 months), since the child’s head is still very large and heavy in comparison with the rest of its body.

This is due to the conventional 5-point harness system on forward-facing car seats which firmly holds the shoulders in place and thus subjects the neck to considerable stresses in the event of a collision. In the case of rear-facing seats, the collision energy is absorbed by the extensive area of the seat, thus providing relief for the head, neck, shoulders and internal organs.

Danger, Airbag: What I need to know about child safety seats and airbags?

Airbags were developed to make driving even safer. However, they are only suitable for children aged 15 and over. If you place an infant carrier on the passenger seat without deactivating the airbag, the baby is exposed to extreme danger. This is why child safety seats and infant carriers should be installed on the rear seat, as an inadvertent error whilst attaching the seat or an unwittingly activated airbag are enough to expose your child to considerable risk. This is because the child can sustain serious injury to the head and neck if impacted by an airbag.

Which is the safest seat in the car?

The safest place in the car for children is the rear seat, preferably in the middle! In this position, the child is as far away from the sides as possible and thus receives optimum protection in the event of an accident. Important: Please ensure that the safety belt fits the car safety seat properly. Pelvic belts alone are not sufficient. In this instance, it is safer to use one of the side rear seats with a retractable three-point belt. Since most cars are not designed with a fully formed central seat and it is relatively difficult to fasten and release the child in this position, the most practical and safest place for the child restraint system is behind the passenger seat.

Can the child safety seat also be used on the front passenger seat?

Generally speaking, child restraint systems may be used on the front passenger seat. In the case of rear-facing systems (e.g. Group 0+ infant carriers), the passenger airbag must be deactivated, otherwise the child may sustain serious injury in the event of a collision! Some car manufacturers, however, do not recommend using the passenger seat in this way due to the possible risk of the airbag being triggered. Please read your car instruction manual or ask your local dealership.

Buying a Second-hand car seat

Should you decide to buy a used child restraint system, you need to consider the following:

- Be careful when buying a car seat from unknown origin, as it may have already been involved in an accident. Either have it checked by the manufacturer or do not buy it!
- Car seats can age, so make sure you swap your model for the third child.
- Models are often already considered outdated after just three to four years.

What dangers are inherent in using used or old child restraint system?

Over the time, hairline cracks can from in the seat shell as a result of accidents. The fissures are often too small to see with the naked eye, but if the seat is still in use they will gradually get bigger.

A seemingly harmless crack can suddenly trigger a complete material failure. This can occur spontaneously during a car crash due to the great forces to which the seat is exposed to on impact.

Alternatively, these tiny cracks may grow unnoticeably due to other factors, such as constant use or exposure to sunlight, which lead to the slow deterioration of the material over time. Therefore, only use second-hand seats that are of known origin (for example, from sibling, family or good friends) and have never been involved in an accident of any sort, even minor.

Always remember that a used seat must perform and fit the car and child as well as a new seat. Otherwise, it cannot offer sufficient protection!

How to choose the right car seat?

When purchasing a new car seat please consider the following points regarding purchase and installation:

- Seats with “semi-universal certification” are not permitted in all vehicles. Check the seat manufacturer’s compatibility list to find out if the seat will fit in your car. In case of doubt, simply ask your car dealership.
- Take both your child and your car to the specialized shop and test the seats to find out which one fits best.
- Child seat should be easy to install.
- Check the length of the seat belts in the back to ensure they are not too short!
- Children’s harnesses must be easy to adjust, so that they can be tightened or loosened depending on what the child is wearing.
- The safety seat should offer children who tend to sleep in the car, maximum side support and a comfortable sleeping position or an adjustable headrest.
- Rear-facing child safety seats must not be positioned on the front passenger seat of cars with an activated front airbag. In this instance, the infant car seat must be installed on the rear seat!
- When buying a new, older and/or used child restraint system, you should always ensure that it complies with the new ECE test standard. The current test label may look like this:

EXPLANATION OF THE ECE LABEL

The latest version (04) of the test standard has been in force since 2006. However, child restraint systems tested in compliance with the earlier version ECE-R-44/03 can still be used. This standard represents the minimum amount of safety a seat must provide. Seats with test labels ECE-R-44/01 and ECE-R-44/02 or with an “officially approved” label are no longer permitted for use.

DESCRIPTION:

1. UNIVERSAL: Certification as universal or vehicle-specific

2. 9-36kg: Body weight, for which the seat is approved

3. GROUP 1/2/3: Group, for which the seat is approved

4. ECE R 44/04: European test standard for child safety seats

5. E8: European country designation refers to the country in which the seat was certified

6. 0444596: Test number: the first two digits refer to the version of the standard used: These two digits should either be 04 or at least 03!

ECE-GROUPS

A child has to be secured with a car safety seat up to the age of 12 years or the height of 150 cm. ECE-Standard 44 defines four groups, each of which is designed for a particular weight category. As a rule of thumb, if the child is too heavy or tall for one group, it should move up to the next. We strongly advise parents not to move their child up too quickly, as too large a seat can be just as ineffective in a car crash as one that is too small.

The different groups and the average age of the child using them are displayed in the graph below. It should be noted that the age is not a criterion but should be seen as a guideline, as it refers to the age and weight of an average child. As a result, the weight categories overlap, allowing for added flexibility from those children who do not reflect average trends. This is designed to prevent children from moving up a group too early or too late.