Experts have warned that booster seats without backrests are not safe, making them dangerous for young children. All car seats used in the UK must be approved by Europe. Look for a label that shows a capital “E” in a circle – this indicates that it complies with the latest regulations. A physician may issue an exemption certificate if a child is unable to use a restraint system or seat belt because of the child`s condition. If you are carrying a child in a car, they must sit in an appropriate child seat or baby carrier or sit on a booster seat. These rules apply to children under the age of 12 or less than 135 cm tall, and children can abandon the seat once they have reached one of these stages. The only exceptions are when it comes to an emergency, and also in taxis, although children should be tied up and seated. Read FCAC`s guide to make sure you`re protecting your child and staying on the right side of the law. Older readers may enjoy remembering life in front of car seats when babies slept in foot wells or on parcel shelves while their older siblings walked around and fought in the back seats, but few would say things haven`t changed for the better. Inspired by the way astronauts travel backwards, doctor Bertil Aldman (later professor of road safety at Chalmers University of Technology) developed the very first prototype child seat and tested it in a Volvo PV544. With so many car seats on offer, it can be very confusing to choose the right one for your child.
We suggest you buy one at a store like Halfords or Mothercare and resist the temptation to buy them online from an unknown source. Uk law states that a child must use a child seat until they are 12 years old or 135 cm tall, whichever comes first. Children over 12 years of age or over 135 cm must wear a seat belt. Children should generally use a child seat until they are 12 years old or 135 centimeters high, whichever comes first. You can choose a child seat based on your child`s height or weight. Although iSize is the new regulation that child seats must comply with, there are no longer any barriers to the use of existing child seats. While we don`t recommend buying a used child seat (unless you`re sure of its history and know it wasn`t involved in an accident), the new rules don`t mean older seats are outdated. You will need to check the seat to make sure it fits your child`s size. If you use a booster seat, make sure that it has a European certification And you can not take children under 3 years old on an unexpected trip in a vehicle without the right child seat, unless both are true: they are not just babies either, because the rules also apply to children who are quite old.
That said, if you`re a parent who drives, it`s important to know the latest laws and tips regarding the choice and use of child seats in the car. Because non-compliance doesn`t just mean the possibility of being fined – if the worst were to happen, the safety of your most valuable possessions is at stake. The easiest way to make sure your child is protected (and that you avoid inadvertently breaking the law) is to look for a brand new “i-size” car seat based on the child`s height. So, what are the current rules for child seats, booster seats and baby carriers? Read on to find out. A child with a booster seat (BubbleBum Pink Chevron) Booster seats lift a child`s body to an appropriate height so that they can be fastened with an adult seat belt. Unlike child seats, they do not have their own fastening system and only use the seat belt to secure the child. Easy to use, there are two types of booster seats: So, when can you use a booster seat to transport your child? Here are the current laws you need to know: the car seat must be mounted according to the manufacturer`s instructions and are not designed to fit the few cars still equipped with side-facing rear seats. If you use a baby carrier regardless of the stage your child is in, you will always want to keep them safe while driving by using a booster seat or a suitable car seat. However, the laws surrounding booster seats and car seats can sometimes be confusing, and it`s hard to know which ones you should use. To help you, we`ve put together all the rules and regulations you need to know when your child should use a booster seat. Euro NCAP is the body that performs independent crash tests of new cars, and although they provide child safety ratings in addition to the results for adults, even their tests are carried out with approved child seats and not with an “integrated” safety kit. Choosing the right car seat offers your child the best possible protection in the event of an accident and you also risk a £500 fine if you are caught with an inappropriate or ill-fitting car seat.
The introduction of the new iSize seating standard aims to improve the safety of child seats, as this standard works in conjunction with the latest safety equipment currently available in current production vehicles. The iSize system was first introduced in 2013, but completely replaced the old Regs in 2018. The main difference between the two sets of rules is that iSize offers a backward-facing journey for babies and toddlers up to 15 months and not the maximum of 9 to 12 months for older periods. This is extremely dangerous because it opens up a gap between your child`s hips and the back of the vehicle seat. The excess belt length created by this space sags the belt, which means that in the event of an accident, the child will not be held tightly in the vehicle seat and will likely be forced under the seat belt. This series of events has become known as “submarines” and, as you can imagine, the injuries inflicted on your child in this situation can be catastrophic. When used correctly, a booster seat eliminates the tendency to sagging by bending the child`s legs in a more natural and comfortable way. Manufacturers can now only produce booster cushions approved as Group 3. This does not affect existing booster pillows in Group 2 and you can continue to use them. On the child seat website you will find information on choosing a seat and how to travel safely with children in cars. The seat your child can use (and how they should be held in it) depends on their weight. “We recommend that parents look for high-back booster seats with deep side guards, head restraint and seat belt guides to ensure the best protection for their children.” Mr.
Bennet said, “To ensure that a child of this size and weight class is protected and safe during transport, the most effective and safest method is to use a highback booster. In the UK, only EU-approved high-rise child seats can be used. These have a label that shows a capital “E” in a circle and “R129”. That`s why it`s important for parents to be aware of the specifics of child seats, including detecting approved models, fitting child seats appropriately, and the types of baby seats, child seats, or booster seats needed at each stage of your child`s development. What advice would you give to new parents looking for their first child seat? Share your own tips below. Well, kids could do this if you try to entertain them in their car seats on long trips, but there`s no doubt that they`re much safer in the car these days. Over the years, an increasingly strict regime of rules and regulations on child seats means that the little ones must now be safely attached to one of the widely tested and officially approved options that are now available. As your child grows, he will look more and more comfortable in his 5-point harness (this is the one with the built-in harness). The bigger they get, the more you may be wondering if it`s time for them to use a booster seat. Britax also urges parents to “throw the booster in the trash,” and has done so in recent years.