Since there is so much information on the internet about car seats, it can sometimes be difficult to draw conclusions about the best options for your baby. Of all the things you buy for your baby, you should know that the car seat is the most important and that is why all the knowledge you have about its characteristics will help you make the best decision.
An interesting aspect that we would like to share with you today is related to the side protections of car seats. It is possible that you can draw erroneous conclusions about them if we do not make some assessments.
We don't want to scare you by talking about accidents, but it is essential to see the statistics so you understand the importance of choosing a car seat. According to data from the DGT, the number of accidents on urban roads (that is, within towns) is approximately double that on interurban roads (to simplify, on highways), although it is also true that the severity of the former is generally lower than that of accidents on highways. Many parents argue when choosing the chair or misusing them, that is I only take the car around town or the city, I don't go out on the road. On urban roads, accidents with lateral or frontal-lateral impact are the predominant ones, and on interurban roads they also represent a non-negligible percentage. With this, in short, what we want to convey to you is the importance of the chairs having good lateral protection, which is why we want to make our assessments.
It is very normal for many parents to go to stores asking for chairs with side protectors, thinking that the chairs that protect against lateral and frontal-lateral impacts are the chairs that have a kind of wings on the sides of the seat shell, making flawed reasoning that ultimately leads to an inappropriate choice of car seat.
We will tell you in general terms that It is not true that all chairs with that type of wings They protect your child in the event of a side impact, nor is the opposite true, that is, that seats that do not have them do not protect them laterally.
For you to understand this in a simple way we have to resort to two concepts, which are regulations and marketing.
The regulations for side impact tests on child restraint systems (CRS). As you probably know, there are two regulations in force regarding safety in car seats: regulation R-44/04 and the more recent regulation R-129, known as the I-size regulation. This regulation is more demanding than the previous one, and among these greater demands, it includes the obligation for chairs to be subjected to side impact simulations. That is, all the chairs you see in stores with the I-size regulations have passed these tests, otherwise they would not be approved with it. These impact tests have been done with Q series dummies. A dummy is a special dummy designed to carry out tests, and the Q series dummies are the ones with the most sensors. So that you understand us, they are dummies more morphologically and anatomically similar to a child, which is what concerns us. In general We can say that standard I-size seats are safer against side impacts: All I-size seats have passed the tests and protect your child. The fact that you do not see wings or external elements does not mean that the chair does not have side protection. We have italicized general form, because there may be chairs approved with the R-44 regulation, whose manufacturer has decided to design them with side protections, even if the regulations do not require it. That is, a seat with R-44 regulations can also protect your child in the event of a side impact.
Marketing when indicating side protections. Although more and more car seat manufacturers are designing safe seats and this is demonstrated by the tests to which they are subjected, for many It is very important what the user can perceive with sight, what their eyes have in front of them.. With this, what we want to tell you is that if you see with your own eyes that a car seat has exterior elements to protect your child in the event of a side collision, you will think that your child is more protected than if these protectors are integrated and cannot be seen directly. This is marketing, it is nothing else.
In conclusion, we will tell you that if the chair is I-size, it has side protection for your little one, whether you see it or not. And don't be left with any doubts about it. Write us asking or find out more in specialized stores. On the Asalvo team we are committed to the safety of your baby and we want you to have the broadest information possible.
