Yesterday we echoed a report published by the RACE according to which almost 30% of child restraint systems are suspended in security, while another part of the report includes new regulations for child restraint systems.
New features are introduced to ensure the safety of the little ones when they travel by car, so the new European type approval standard i-Size.
What is the new i-Size approval standard?
Children's chairs must also exceed one side crash test to obtain approval. Until now they only had to pass a front and rear test.
It will change the way of dividing the chairs according to the weight of the child and will become depending on your height. The manufacturer will determine the height range for each retention system.
All children must travel sitting with their backs to the direction of travel until 15 months as it has been proven that the chairs placed against the rear are safer. This condition will apply only to SRIs approved under the new directive and to products with ECE-R 44 approval.
Isofix child seats with support support can obtain universal approval, although only for use in cars with seats with a special signage (suitable according to "i-size"). It is expected that the first cars with these seats with special signage will go on sale from 2014.
The new i-Size regulation does not replace previous regulations, but means an evolution in the security of SRIs. Is a Exclusive regulations for ISOFIX car seats. Meanwhile, the ECE-R 44 will continue to regulate the car seats that are fastened with the vehicle belt and the ISOFIX chairs for a few years. The two regulations will live together for a while.
In the last Puericultura fair that we have attended, we have been able to verify that all manufacturers are committed to models that are placed in the opposite direction to the march: the looking forward is over.
Naturally, approved SRIs may continue to be used in accordance with ECE-R 44. It is not intended to prohibit their use in the short term, but it would be advisable to inform themselves properly when the first products approved according to the new regulations are released.
