How to choose a child car seat? Guide
In the event of an accident, an incorrectly transported child flies out of the car, as if from a catapult. His chances of survival are close to zero. So don't take risks. Always seat them in an approved car seat.
According to Polish law, a child under 12 years old, no taller than 150 cm, must be transported in a car, fastened with seat belts, in a special car seat. Otherwise, a fine of PLN 150 and 3 demerit points is provided. And for the smallest passengers on the market there are seats to choose from, in color. However, not all perform their function.
The most important certificate
So, what should you look for when buying a car seat? Of course, does it have the European ECE R44 certification. Only the best products and safety products have this approval. It is also worth checking how the car seat we are interested in performed in crash tests.
– Realistically assessing the situation, we can say that only about 30 percent of the seats on the market meet the minimum safety, but if you add to the statistics goods from Asia, which are often sold under Polish brands, this figure would drop. up to about 10 percent,” says Pavel Kurpiewski, an expert on child safety in cars.
Seats are selected according to the weight and height of the child
Newborns travel in group 0+ car seats. They can be used by children whose weight does not exceed 13 kilograms. These seats are installed facing backwards. Attention! Doctors recommend that newborns travel no more than 2 hours a day.
Another type of car seat is the so-called group I designed for children from about a year to 3-4 years old, weighing from 9 to 18 kilograms. The third type includes the so-called groups II-III, on which children weighing from 15 to 36 kg, but no more than 150 centimeters tall, can safely ride.
They are installed only facing forward. It is worth knowing that the seats with red hooks are attached to the front, and those with blue hooks are attached to the back.
Where to install the seat?
Remember not to install seats in the middle of the rear seat (unless it is equipped with a 3-point seat belt or an ISOFIX seat anchorage system). A conventional center seatbelt won't hold it in place in the event of a crash.
Your child must sit in the front passenger seat. This ensures safe installation and removal from the pavement. In accordance with applicable law, children may also be transported in child seats in the front seat. However, in this case, the airbag must be disabled. Otherwise, in an accident when the airbag deploys, it can crush our baby.
It is extremely important to properly install the seat. Even the best product will not protect you if it is not suitable for your vehicle. Ida Lesnikovska-Matusiak from the Institute of Road Transport, an expert on the Safety for All program, also reminds you that seat belts fastened in a car seat must be well fastened and buckled.
“Only the correct use of seat belts reduces the risk of death in a collision by at least 45 percent,” says Ida Lesnikovska-Matusiak. It is also very important to protect the child's head and body in the event of a side impact. Therefore, when buying a seat, you need to pay attention to how the seat is built in, whether the sides of the cover are thick, how tightly the covers hold the child's head.
Buy relatively new
Avoid buying used seats (exception: from family and friends). You never know what happened to him before. The seat involved in the accident is not suitable for further use.
Experts also advise against buying a car seat online. First of all, because it needs to be carefully adjusted not only to the child, but also to the car in which we will transport it.
“It may turn out that a car seat that looks beautiful at first glance, after being installed in a car, will turn out to be too vertical or too horizontal, and, therefore, uncomfortable for a small passenger,” explains Vitold Rogovsky, an expert at ProfiAuto, wholesalers, stores. and auto repair shops.
