Where should the child car seat be located?

How and where to properly install a child seat in a car

Good day to all! It is hardly worth arguing with the fact that the safety of children in the car plays a huge role. And it is very strange to observe situations when a small child sits in a regular seat. It's even worse where it is in the arms of the passenger sitting in front.

To protect children from possible injuries when traveling in a car, there are special car seats. And today we will discuss how to install a child seat, what you need to know about this procedure and what features the installation has depending on the weight and age of our children.

I advise you to approach this issue very responsibly. Only correct installation will achieve the desired effect. And violating the placement rules can only make the situation worse.

Classification

When choosing and installing seats, you need to start from the weight classification, which is considered generally accepted in Russia and Europe.

There are several groups:

• Zero or group 0. These are chairs for newborns whose weight is no more than 10 kilograms and whose age does not exceed 6 months. A prerequisite for them is to be placed sideways in the direction of traffic;
• Car seat group 0+. Here children are up to 13 kilograms and no older than one year. Mounted frontally against the movement of the car;
• First group. This includes car seats for children whose weight ranges from 9-18 kilograms and whose age ranges from 9 months to 4 years. Place your face in the direction of the car;
• Second group. Includes small passengers weighing from 15 to 25 kilograms and ages from 3 to 7 years. They are also placed facing the direction of travel;
• Third group. These are the oldest, weighing from 22 to 36 kg and age from 6 to 12 years. Install as in the case of the second group.

Based on this classification, you will know exactly which car seat to buy for your child in the weight range of 9-36 kg.

Don't worry if you don't have seat belts. You can, and sometimes need to, secure your child with the straps that come with the chair you purchased.

As for the chairs themselves, it is worth highlighting brands like Babyton, Zlatek, Rant, Infiniti or Mishutka. Focus on your taste and financial capabilities.

Installation location

There is a lot of controversy regarding whether it is possible to put a seat with a child in the front seat or not. If you don’t believe the prevailing stereotypes, then there is nothing terrible in such a decision.

In general, there are several options where you can place this structure. But each of them has its own nuances.

• Front passenger seat. Can. But first you need to turn off the airbag, if the car has one. At the same time, security will be at a high level;
• In the middle of the back seat. It is considered a familiar and more optimal option. Injuries from side impacts are minimized. It is not possible to provide complete side impact protection;
• Right back. Also a relatively safe option. The danger is only due to the proximity of the side door. But it is easier for the driver to keep an eye on the child. Plus, you can move the front passenger seat forward. And this is very important and useful from a security perspective;
• Behind the driver. For some reason it is considered the safest option, but the facts tell a different story. The driver does not see the child, the seat cannot be moved. Having the driver's seat close to the car seat is very dangerous due to possible impacts against it.

Based on all of the above, everyone will be able to draw the appropriate conclusions for themselves.

Do not break the rules, strictly follow the instructions when installing a children's structure.

It is unlikely that it will be possible to talk specifically about the rules for mounting and installing belts within the framework of this material. You need to rely not on advice from the Internet, but purely on the manufacturer’s official instructions. This is the most correct and only correct source of information on the operation of your specific purchased car seat for a child.

Beware of extraneous advice or any recommendations that run counter to official requirements and recommendations. Various smart people and folk craftsmen believe that they know better than the manufacturer how to use his car seats. They come up with alternative installation methods, use strange belt placement principles that contradict the manual. It’s hard to say what this will lead to. The only thing I can add is that when it comes to child safety, you should trust only the best car seat manufacturers.

Carefully study the characteristics of the design you purchased. Read reviews about it, find out if these models have manufacturing defects and if they have been discontinued due to design imperfections. In this regard, it is also not recommended to buy used chairs. This is your child, and therefore it is worth allocating money for his safety.

Isofix system

Very often when it comes to equipping cars, the concept of Isofix or Isofix is ​​heard. This is a special system for securing child car seats, developed and approved by ISO.

This is a standard that makes it possible to install a chair:

• fast;
• reliable;
• safely;
• easily;
• for any car with this system;
• without conventional belts;
• on one's own;
• without constantly reading the instructions;
• for children of different ages;
• with different weights of the baby, etc.

The main feature is precisely the absence of the need to use conventional belts, which are used to fasten an adult.

Here, special slides of a retractable design are used on metal anchors using built-in locks. These runners are placed in the car seats and are securely connected to the body.

The system is sometimes available as an option, but often as a basic component of all modern cars. Therefore, you should check whether there is a mount specifically on your car. And if you doubt the correct use of the car seat latch, watch the video or read the instructions. There is nothing complicated here. Everyone can easily do it with their own hands.

Common Mistakes

They are allowed mainly by those who do not read the instructions and believe that they will figure everything out themselves.

But if you can figure out the issue of a regular seat belt on your own, when fixing a child seat, I still recommend being more responsible, patient, spending time studying the instructions and strictly following the advice.

As for errors, the most common ones are the following.

• Incorrect fastening of the seat using seat belts. When the Isofix system is not available, the structure is secured with conventional belts. It is important here that the buckle is in the lock. The lap and shoulder belt buckles are slightly different. Read the instructions;
• Insufficient seat belt tension. And again we turn to the instructions. No dangling or twisting. Make sure that the belt passes through the hole provided in the back of the structure just below shoulder level;
• Early transition to forward-facing placement. Take your time to seat the child facing the direction of travel. Otherwise, serious injuries may occur. This should be done only after 1 year and provided that the child’s weight is more than 9.5 kg.

Remember that car seats are designed not only for safety, but also to provide an appropriate level of comfort. Ignoring the need to use special structures is dangerous for the health and life of children. Don't take risks and don't test your luck.

Now tell me honestly. How do you feel about car seats for children, do you use them and how much do you follow the prescribed rules? I'm waiting for answers in the comments.

That's all I have. Thanks everyone for your attention! Subscribe, comment, ask your questions and invite your friends to join us!

( 2 ratings, average: 3.00 out of 5)

Where is the safest place to put a child car seat in a car?

A place for discussion

22.11.2017 at 19:23, views: 13091

Where is the safest place for a child to sit in a car - on the left (behind the driver) or on the right (behind the front passenger)? There is no consensus among car owners on this issue, although there is a very specific answer to it.

Most parent drivers are convinced that the safest position for a child in the car, and therefore the best place to install a child car seat, is behind the driver. This opinion is motivated by the fact that supposedly in the event of a traffic accident, the driver obeys the instinct of self-preservation and tries to turn away from the danger approaching him. And since the child sits directly behind him, the baby’s chances of getting hurt are reduced.

Proponents of installing a car seat in the right rear passenger seat explain their position by saying that “it’s not much there, but it’s farther from oncoming traffic.” The arguments of both sides actually do not stand up to even primitive criticism. And indeed, in addition to head-on accidents with oncoming traffic (which drivers usually try to steer away from), there are also tangential collisions with both oncoming and passing cars. Side impacts also happen. No one knows in advance which of the listed options for misfortune may happen. Consequently, no one knows for sure in which part of the car in which particular accident a child will be more protected.

In fact, judging by numerous crash tests, the safest place in a car is its geometric center - an area equidistant from danger on any side. Accordingly, it is safest to place the child seat in the middle of the rear passenger seat. However, not every car model has a seat belt for the middle rear passenger. But only with its help can you secure the child seat in the required place. Moreover, the vast majority of cars have brackets for installing ISOFIX car seats only on the right and left, but not in the center of the rear sofa.

In this regard, parents are left with only a choice between equally unsafe positions for a child seat - right or left rear. And in this case, pragmatic considerations should come first: where it is more convenient to control the child and communicate with him on the road, that is where the seat is placed - some people prefer it on the right side of the car, and others on the left.

Newspaper headline: Place for discussion
Published in the Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper No. 27553 dated November 23, 2017 Tags: Children, Accident, Elections, Accident, Transport, Auto, Roads

Where is the safest place in the car for a child?

The most important and vulnerable passenger in a car is a child, so parents must first take measures for his safe travel. To reduce the risk of injury to a child during emergency braking and an accident, it is necessary to purchase special devices according to age and weight and place the small passenger in the safest place.

What place in a car is considered the safest according to statistics?

According to inexorable statistics and realities of life, any vehicle in the event of a serious accident (collision, coup, etc.) is subject to varying degrees of damage. Manufacturers of passenger cars are trying to protect passengers by creating a kind of increased safety field around them, trying to reduce body deformation in the area of ​​passenger seats.

Thus, the safest seat in the car is located where the likelihood of overloads hazardous to health and body deformations is minimal. In other words, this is the place in the car where the chances of surviving a serious accident are much higher than in the rest.

Many drivers still consider the safest place for a passenger to be behind them, but this is not true. This version has long been debunked and there is a lot of evidence for this. The main arguments for such a statement are the driver’s instinctive removal of danger from himself, which consists in removing his side from the trajectory of the impact, exposing the opposite side. There is also a popular version that the child is safest behind the passenger seat.

Both options do not take into account the likelihood of a side impact and vehicle rollover, leading to deformations of the side parts of the body.

To identify the safest passenger seat, many studies have been carried out, including a thorough study of statistics on road traffic accidents with victims.

Additionally, a number of crash tests were carried out, especially now they have become as close to reality as possible and are carried out independently of manufacturers, who, of course, are interested in presenting their products as safer than their competitors.

Based on the results of numerous tests and accident analysis, the safest place for a child was identified - the rear middle seat, provided that the child is in a special seat (for small children), correctly installed, or wearing a seat belt (teenagers). The level of safety when a child is in this place is 15-25% higher compared to other seats.

This statement is confirmed by the design features of the car, since when a small passenger is in the rear in the middle, it reduces the likelihood of injury both during side impacts and during a vehicle rollover, which causes deformation of the doors, side pillars and side parts of the roof.

It is in the center of the rear passenger row that there is most of the free space necessary to save a small passenger. Of course, such an effect is only possible when sitting in a child seat or using other special devices or a standard belt in the case of teenagers.

Parental neglect of safety measures leads to an increase in child injuries and mortality in road accidents. They argue with dubious arguments, such as that the child is uncomfortable sitting, does not like it, or give dubious arguments for exceptional situations when the absence of restraints saved a life. When the standard seat belts are fastened, the risk of injury to the child increases many times over, even during emergency braking, since the child will not stay in place.

This seat is the most uncomfortable in vehicles, with the exception of minivans and other car models in which the back row consists of three separate seats. In addition, many modern car models, including cars and luxury SUVs, are equipped with armrests and other devices that increase comfort, so this place is missing.

Many inexpensive cars and family cars are equipped with special mounts for mounting child seats in the center of the rear row. Most passenger vehicle models are equipped with a standard seat belt or at least a cross strap. When the vehicle is equipped with seat belts in this manner, to preserve the life and health of children, it is strongly recommended that they be placed in the middle of the rear row of seats.

How to install a child seat in a car correctly

To ensure the safety of a child while driving, it is necessary to correctly select child restraint devices (according to age and weight) and install them.

There are three options for installing a child car seat, depending on the car, each of them has its own specifics:

1) Isofix fastening system. The chair is secured to the metal fasteners on the outboard runners using built-in locks. The slides are located inside the seat and are rigidly connected to the body. When using this international standard, the need for standard belts is completely eliminated.

Most modern cars are equipped with a similar security system. In most cases, these elements are indicated by special symbols and are located at the edges of the seats.

2) Installing the car seat using a standard belt. This method of securing child seats is used in the absence of the Isofix system, but there is a built-in fastening function using standard belts.

When using this safety device, you must carefully study the instructions for the car seat; if you have any questions, you should refer to the detailed operating instructions for this brand of car.

3) Belt + retainer. This option for fastening the chair must be used in the absence of a system, and the standard seat belts are not fixed or structurally blocked.

To secure the belt, you must use special grooves in the car seat, which are designed to securely fasten the belt and hold the seat in place. To properly secure the child, you should pull the belt all the way out and pass it through special places. If the belt turns out to be too long, you can shorten it by tying a knot.

Additional seat belts

Factory seat belts are three-point and are designed with lumbar and shoulder sections. They are designed to secure a passenger at least 1.5 meters tall and weighing more than 36 kilograms, otherwise (for children) the belt will be located too close to the neck and can cause more harm than good.

To transport children, in addition to a child seat, it is legally permitted to use special adapters that allow you to properly secure a small passenger to ensure his safety. These include special belt pads that allow you to secure the belt in the correct position. For children under three, a slightly different design is provided with an additional strap, taking into account physiological and age characteristics.

When such products are used correctly, their effectiveness is very high and in some cases, in life-threatening cases, is comparable to expensive child seats designed for maximum child safety. In addition to all kinds of belt pads that allow you to properly fix the seat belt, there are boosters - a lower stand with handles through which the position of the belt is fixed.

It is also permissible to use other aids to ensure that the seat belt is properly secured (away from the child's neck). These can also include a pillow that is placed under the child and lifts him higher, as a result of which the belt passes along the chest away from the neck.

Using any means to properly secure the seat belt can save a child’s life in the event of dangerous situations. If there is no car seat according to the child’s age, or in the event of an unexpected trip with children in a car without a child seat, it is necessary to fasten the child using any of the above means.

"Child in the car" sign

A sign warning about the presence of a child in a car is not required by law and, in fact, does not provide any effectiveness or benefit. Usually it is located on the side where the child seat is attached, in the hope that it can reduce the likelihood of an accident, although accidents occur in a split second in most cases and it is unlikely that the driver of a rapidly approaching car will be able to see the sign and react to it before the moment of impact, as they want badge owners.

There are also versions that in the event of a serious accident, such a sticker will inform about the child and he will be rescued faster. A more logical option for using such a sign is to notify other road users that the driver of a car with such a sign can be distracted at any time and they should expect unexpected behavior from the car in front.

How to choose the right child car seat

The car seat must be selected taking into account the age and weight of the child and the fastening system that is available in the car. Child seats with international safety certification are more effective in the event of an accident, but they also cost significantly more.

The main requirement for such seats, in addition to proper fastening, is the tight and safe fixation of the small passenger, taking into account his physiological characteristics.

Tips for transporting a child in a car

There is a generally accepted gradation by weight categories, as well as the location of the car seat depending on weight/age, it operates in accordance with ECE R44/04 and in accordance with domestic GOST.

Below is a table showing how car seats are divided and secured according to the weight and age of the child.

Infants have weak necks and rather large heads (in relation to the body), so they must be placed in a semi-lying position facing the rear of the car body or perpendicularly (depending on age and type of cradle), since in the event of emergency braking or an accident there will be there is no inertial push that could damage a fragile organism.

If it is necessary to transport an infant in the front (when there is only one person in the car in addition to the child and contact with the baby is necessary), it is necessary to disable the front airbag, the activation of which can cause significant harm to the baby, including harm that is incompatible with life.

A child of any age is physiologically more susceptible to injury even during sudden braking, so his transportation must be as safe as possible, for which you should use child seats strictly according to the age and weight of the child, position them correctly or resort to other special restraint devices that fix the belt in the correct position . It must be remembered that neglect of the safety of a small passenger can result in serious injury or death.

What is the safest place in a car for a child seat?

All manufacturers of child car seats include detailed instructions with their product, which describe in detail all the points regarding its installation in the car. Of course, when installing a child car seat in a vehicle, you must strictly and strictly follow the recommendations of its manufacturer. However, the safety of a child depends not only on the correct installation of the car seat, but also on its location in the car.

For most parents, choosing a place to install a car seat in a car is a very difficult and even daunting task. The safety and comfort level of the child who is in the car while driving along busy sections of the highway depends on the correct installation and location of the car seat.

If the child's car seat is incorrectly positioned in the vehicle, the child's parents may face a wide variety of problems. For example, if a car seat is not installed correctly, the seat may become loose, creating a serious risk to the child's safety in the event of an accident.

Where is the best place to install a car seat in a car?

Child car seats, which are produced specifically for transporting small children, also called bassinets or car seats, are recommended to be installed against the direction of travel of the car. This type of car seat must be secured using special three-point belts or anchors.

The safest place in a car for a car seat is the middle passenger, which is located in the back seat. This is due to the fact that it is the middle passenger's seat that is equally distant from the side doors of the vehicle and is the safest in the event of a side collision of vehicles.

If for technical reasons it is impossible to install a child car seat in the area of ​​the middle passenger in the rear of the car, it is better to place it on the right side of the car. To do this, move the front passenger seat forward slightly.

When installing a car seat in a car, you should try to leave as much free space in front of it as possible. In addition, under no circumstances should it be secured using the front seats as a support. Otherwise, if you brake suddenly or if an accident occurs, the child may be seriously injured.

It is also recommended to install the car seat in the rear right part of the car’s interior also because with this location it becomes possible to constantly monitor the child’s condition while driving. However, it should be noted that, according to established traffic rules, a child car seat is also allowed to be installed in the front passenger seat of a vehicle, subject to certain conditions.

First of all, when installing a car seat in the front seat of a car, the airbag located in front of it should be disabled or absent altogether. When installing a child car seat in the car, it is also recommended to consider and follow some other recommendations.

1. The position of the installed car seat should be such that the child constantly looks back, in the opposite direction relative to the direction of movement of the car.
2. The chair must be installed in the center of the seat. This location is the most stable and safer in the event of an accident or sudden braking of the vehicle.
3. After installation, you need to check the strength of the child seat's attachment to the car seat. If, when trying to move it, the chair begins to move to the side by a distance exceeding the 2.5 cm mark, then in this case it should be reinstalled.

The choice of place in a vehicle for a car seat also largely depends on the technical characteristics and size of the car. For example, in a five-seater car, the car seat is best installed in the rear seats, in the middle passenger seat. In a seven-seater car, it is recommended to install it in the area of ​​the middle passenger row.

According to the law, in order to carry a child in the cabin, you need to install a car seat. It can be on the front, driver's side, or rear. It can also be mounted in the middle of the rear seat.

The safest place in the car for a child is in a seat

Every family that has the good fortune to raise a small child is obliged to follow the “short hand” rule for his safety. It means that you should not let the child go further from you than the hands of an adult can reach. This way you will always be able to control the situation when it comes to small children. This rule is also valid (with some reservations) in the case of transporting a child by car.

Common truths from the traffic police

Since almost every family with children has their own car, adults simply have to know where the safest place in the car is for a child. Discussions on this matter are being held on various Internet forums, in European communities, as well as among compatriots.

The statistics are very varied, but I still want to hear an official answer from representatives of those in power. According to Russian legislation, small and not so toddlers under 12 years of age must be transported exclusively in a car seat (otherwise a fine!). But there are no clear instructions on where to install it; the parent must decide this issue on their own.

Five years ago, as part of the all-Russian project “Little Big Passenger,” the following recommendation was nevertheless issued: “The safest place is in the middle of the back seat, that is, in the center of the car.” Although some European experts on the issue of child car injuries are of the opinion that traveling in a car is, in any case, a dangerous thing. Therefore, no matter what position you choose, the main thing is that everyone is comfortable. Even with a car seat, the danger is also great, it’s just that the percentage varies.

Choosing a seat in the car depending on the category of car seat

In order for children to truly occupy the safest place in the car, it is necessary to take into account the age and category of the purchased seat:

• It is recommended to install bassinet chairs for the smallest (categories 0 and 0+) in the back seat, with the headboard facing away from the door. The cradle in this case is perpendicular to the movement of the car. If the mother is driving, then this type of car seat for infants is often fixed in the front passenger seat, but against the direction of the car. The seat belt should be below the child's shoulder and there should be no airbag in this area.
• Seats of categories 1, 2, 3 can be fixed both in the front and in the rear. For the first, a five-point belt is required. In this case, children sit in the direction of travel of the car. The only difference is in the fixation of the main belt (for 1 - slightly above shoulder level, for 2 - through the center of the shoulder). Boosters (the third category of seats) do not have a back or side walls.

It must be remembered that the safest place in the car to install a child car seat will only be truly safe if the seat of any category is correctly installed and secured.

Attaching a car seat to the front passenger seat

Statistics inexorably tell adults that this option is the most unsafe for transporting not only children, but any passenger. This is explained by the fact that when danger threatens, the driver, as a rule, moves the vehicle to the left in order to protect himself from a collision. Accordingly, the right front corner of the car is the first to be exposed to impact.

In a frontal collision, the child will also be in imminent danger, especially if the airbag deploys. Therefore, it is impossible to call this option for fixing a child car seat “the safest place in the car in case of an accident.” Although there are still advantages: it is convenient for the mother to observe how the baby behaves, he is in the field of view and in the “short arm”.

Location of the car seat in the rear seat behind the passenger seat on the right

Encouraging statistics indicate that this option is very acceptable. The seat in the right rear receives the fewest impacts in an accident, because it is located in the opposite corner from oncoming traffic. To make it convenient for parents to see their child (after all, this is almost impossible in the rearview mirror), you can install an additional mirror in the car interior. This will make it easier to monitor the actions of the little passenger.

The benefits don't stop there. The right side is the safest place in the car in the sense that it is correct to seat the baby and drop him off from the sidewalk rather than the roadway.

It’s safe for a child to be behind the driver – a debunked myth

For a long time, it was believed that children should sit in the back left. This is true in three respects:

1. As a rule, manufacturers of most car brands make the left side stronger.
2. In the event of an accident, the driver automatically moves his left side away from the impact.
3. In the rearview mirror you can clearly see what the child is doing. And the accompanying person in the front passenger seat can easily reach the baby with his hand in this position.

But there are also three elements that indicate that behind the driver is not the safest place in the car for a child in a seat:

1. Children have to be seated and dropped off not from the sidewalk, but in close proximity to the roadway.
2. In addition, oncoming traffic flow is located very close to this place.
3. In case of any problems with the child, it is difficult for the driver, who is alone in the car, to reach the seat behind him while driving.

The favorite for the safety of child seat placement is the golden mean

Listening to the advice of both domestic and foreign experts, it is best to seat your precious child directly in the middle of the back seat sofa. If you visually imagine the location of the child seat inside the car in the back, in the middle, then it is obvious how much free space there is around it.

In the event of a crash, this seat is 16% safer (according to statistics from case studies at the University of Buffalo) than all other child seat positions. This is indeed, if not the safest place in the car for a child seat, then certainly to the greatest extent among the variations discussed above. It is surrounded by space that is not compressed during a collision (including lateral ones on both sides).

Methods for attaching a child seat in a car

When purchasing a seat to transport your child in a car, you should carefully study the instructions and attach it strictly according to it. Two methods are being considered:

• The car seat is secured in the selected position with the seat belts included with the vehicle. There are situations when the belts are not long enough. In this case, you absolutely cannot lengthen them yourself. It is better to contact a car repair shop or an authorized dealer for such a service.
• A less popular option, the Isofix System, has metal guides built into the child seat with special fasteners at the ends. Durable brackets are installed directly into the car seat.

Although, when choosing the second option and fixing the chair with it, the fact is fully confirmed that the safest place in the car is in the back in the middle. The risks in this case are significantly lower than when fastening with seat belts, despite the fact that the Isofix system is less popular. This is due to the fact that not all cars are equipped in this way.

How to place children in a car if there are several of them

In many cars, the middle seat in the back is not suitable for a car seat (for example, due to the built-in folding armrest). In addition, if there are three children in a family, then it will be problematic to place three car seats at once in an average car.

It is best to place two children in the back seat as close to the center as possible. Or act on the principle: the younger, the more necessary it is to protect the baby’s trip. Therefore, parents should rationally decide where the safest places in the car will be for each of their little passengers.