How to choose a child car seat

Buying a child car seat is half the trouble. You need to know how to properly seat and fasten the child. Otherwise, this purchase will be just a waste of money “for show” so that the traffic cops do not cling to. Often, parents understand the importance of this device only when faced with a real threat on the road. Rebecca Boyer is not one of those. She worried about her first child so that she tried to do everything for his safety. Moreover, the woman works as a nurse, she was convinced from her own experience that a car seat is important.

Someone will call it paranoia, someone overprotection and schizophrenia in general. But after the birth of her son William, Rebecca lost her peace. When she got out of the decree – and in America with this quickly, paid vacation lasts only 12 weeks, she insisted that her husband send her messages every hour about what she and William were doing. And certainly a photo report. Do not rush to be horrified by her intrusiveness.

“This afternoon I got a message from him that they are going to the store. My husband sent me a photo of Will in the car seat. And I asked to adjust the belts a little, “- says Rebecca in her social network page.

David, Rebecca’s husband, did not protest. And half an hour later, the young mother received another message: “Honey, just don’t worry, we had an accident.” It turned out that the father and son barely managed to get onto the highway when another car crashed into them. The woman behind the wheel tried to make a two-lane turn, cutting off David’s car. The man hit the brakes so hard that he broke three bones in his foot. Crumpled hood, broken bumpers – that’s okay. The main question is what about the child?

And the baby, baby William, didn’t even wake up. He was so securely fastened in his chair that the collision did not bother him in the least.

“You can change the car, but my boys can’t. It is always necessary to comply with safety requirements, even if you are going to drive only half a kilometer away, ”Rebecca concluded her emotional message.

Our expert, Vadim Melnikov, director of the expert center “Movement without Danger”:

“Under the new ECE 129 standard, car seats must be fitted with Isofix and not be fitted with a standard seat belt.”

There are other points to pay attention to.

1. Browse the internet for independent crash test results. Expensive proven brands also have unsuccessful models. One of the most reputable testing organizations is the German auto club ADAC.

2. Do not buy a chair online, before buying it you need to carefully inspect it, check its strength and even smell it. We decided to take a second-hand chair – think it over carefully. If a child has a tendency to allergies, it is not worth the risk. When buying a seat from your hands, check it for defects and breakdowns, check if there has been an accident – a chair that survived an accident cannot be used, even if it has retained its presentation.

3. Take your child with you to the store. Let the baby sit in a few chairs and tell you which one is more comfortable. The seats have different seating depths, may not fit due to the peculiarities of the body structure, complexion. If you are planning long trips, then it is better to choose a chair with the ability to tilt the back, so that the child can sleep comfortably and comfortably. When choosing a chair, look at models designed not just for the age of the baby, but for its weight and height.

4. Look for a special orange-colored sign that confirms that the chair meets the uniform international safety standard. A circle with the letter E and a number is drawn on it – it denotes the country that issued the quality certificate. The sign or next to it must be marked ECE R44 / 04 or ECE 129 (i-Size, this is a more recent standard). This means that the seat has been tested according to the latest edition of the standard. The year of manufacture, the personal seat number (assigned during crash tests) and the fastening diagram must be displayed in a conspicuous place, if the device is fixed with a standard seat belt.

5. Ask the seller for a copy of the certificate of conformity; in the absence of a document, it is better to refuse to purchase.

6. Refrain from buying if the seat is lightweight. The stronger the plastic, the heavier it is. Good chairs are often equipped with additional metal reinforcements and, by definition, cannot be lightweight. A pronounced smell of plastic also indicates poor quality of the material, moreover, in the heat, the smell will intensify and cause inconvenience.

7. Try to push hard on the plastic parts of the device, bend them, and loosen them. Do not hesitate, a high-quality seat can withstand a huge load, you cannot break it. If the plastic gives in, cracks appear, then the chair is unreliable. Moreover, in the event of an accident, such plastic can crumble and injure the child.

8. Check what material the upholstery is made of, ideally perforated fabric, not synthetics. For your convenience, choose chairs with covers that can be removed and washed.

9. Choose a seat with side protection at head level to protect your little one from more than a frontal impact. If it is present, the risk of damage to the cervical vertebrae is reduced, it is less likely that glass fragments will fall into the crumbs.

10. Ask your salesperson to show you how to secure the seat to the interior of your vehicle. Improper fixation will not only not protect the child, but also harm. There are several ways of fastening – using a regular belt, Isofix and Latch systems, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. If you are not sure that you can securely fix it with a regular belt, choose a seat with Isofix. It is easier to install, but the cost is higher.

11. Pay attention to the models with an “anchor”, this is a belt in the headrest area. It is attached at the back and prevents the seat from leaning forward when the driver brakes sharply. The seat belts that fix the child in the device should be wide, with soft pads and adjustable. It is better if there is a lock on the lock so that the baby cannot unfasten the belts while driving.

12. Recall that according to the new standard for car seats, transportation of children under 15 months is recommended against the direction of travel, which greatly reduces the likelihood of head and neck injury in a frontal collision. After 15 months, the child can be transported both against and facing in the direction of travel.