Fundamental for transporting a child safely, there are many types of car seats. Here are the ones to absolutely avoid
Although until a few decades ago children were free to roam around in the car without problems and, at times, they were even allowed to take off their seat belts, today all this is utopia. Know the risks for children in the event of an accident, especially if they are untied and not suitably protected, car seats have become mandatory, which must be approved according to the regulations and must have specific seats and safety devices. Here, for Altroconsumo, which are the most dangerous.
Article 172 of the Highway Code deals with the issue of transporting children by car and specifies what each parent, guardian and person assigned to this role must do when traveling with an infant on board. According to the law, children under one meter and fifty in height must be secured in the seat with a child restraint system, a child seat: this must be suitable for their weight, the type of means of transport and must comply with all regulations established by the Ministry. So here it is everything you need to know about it and, according to Altroconsumo, which devices are less secure.
Car seat for children: the legislation
The height that discriminates for the child seat is one meter and fifty: those who exceed it can stay in the car without using the special seat and can also sit on the front seat. Those who have not yet reached it and are under 12 years old, must use the car seat: if you don’t do it, you are liable to a fine. According to UNECE Regulation 44, child seats are divided into 4 groups according to the weight of the children:
- group 0, up to 10 kg and therefore approximately up to the year of life, also called nacelles;
- group 0+, up to 13 kg and therefore up to about 18 months, they are the little eggs;
- group 1, from 9 to 18 kg and therefore up to 4 years: they are fixed to the passenger seats with a seat belt;
- group 2, from 15 to 25 kg and therefore up to 6 years: seats with backrests and armrests;
- group b, from 22 to 36 kg and therefore up to 12 years: simple seats with boosters and backrests, which raise the child so that he can use the car’s seat belts.
Obviously, the most important factor is weight and not age and it is important to adapt the seat as the child grows, as it determines his safety during transport. Furthermore, in 2017, a new law imposed that all children under 1.25 m in height must use a booster seat: only those who exceed this height can use the one without a backrest.
How to choose the right car seat
First of all, when you have to buy a car seat, it is always better to go to a specialized centre, which can indicate the model that best suits your needs. In any case, on every device it is present a label indicating all specifications of the seat. “Universal” is the abbreviation that indicates that that product is suitable for all vehicles while where there is “kg“ the maximum weight supported by the device is indicated.
“And + number” indicates the European Union approval mark and the country which has granted such approval, while “04 + other numbers” indicates the standard complied with by that particular product: the most recent is 04. The standardized international system for anchoring the child car seat to the vehicle is Isofix, much more efficient and seat belt safe as it hooks the entire body of the seat to the car.
The least safe car seats according to Altroconsumo
After having given you a smattering of the world of car seats, during which you will have understood the vastness of choice and also the difficulty in relying on products of true quality, we want to reveal which according to Altroconsumo the least safe seats are. The first seat considered dangerous is the Graco Junior Maxi, due to its non-height adjustable backrest and consequently usable only from 22 kg and from 1.25 m upwards. Even the Mifold Grap&Go did not pass the tests as it has no protection in the event of a side impact.
The nobleman was also rejected Foppapedretti Teknofix due to the seat belt passing across the abdomen, thus becoming a risk of abdominal injury in the event of a frontal impact. In addition, the Recaro Germany company has announced a freeze on product sales Recaro Optia with the Recaro SmartClick base e Recaro Zero.1 due to the failure of the crash tests carried out in the laboratory: in the event of a frontal impact, the risks for the child are extremely serious since the seat detaches from the Isofix base and is thrown into the car. Same speech for Jene Grand which, during the crash test, demonstrated that its Isofix couplings cannot withstand the forces to which they are subjected and open in the event of an accident.