Car Seat Safety: Understanding the law
Whether you’re a first-time parent or trying to find the best car seat for your growing little one, the world of child car seats can be overwhelming. Many parents wonder if all child car seats are as safe as each other and what the law is on child car seats vs. recommendations?
We’ve teamed up with the experts at CYBEX to explain more about child car seat law and safety testing scores to help you make a more informed choice.
Who tests child car seats?
While parents around the world may all be different, they have one thing in common. They all share the same concern for the safety of their children, particularly when travelling in the car.
The law on child car seats
To help parents choose the right car seat or infant carrier for their children, safety standards have been implemented across the world. In Europe, child car seat manufacturers currently must comply with standards UN R44/04 or UN R129 (including i-Size). These standards mean every car seat on the market has passed the current law and is safe to use. However, there is still a difference between each child car seat as many are manufactured with features to have improved safety which is evaluated and tested over and above the law.
Car seat consumer tests
Consumer tests for child car seats are in addition to the basic legal requirements. Here, child car seats are also checked and tested by independent testing institutes such as General German Automobile Club (ADAC), Stiftung Warentest and Which? To emerge as the safest product in consumer testing, products must meet stringent requirements in a variety of different categories. Accordingly, safety standards are under constant review.
The table below shows the safety criteria of the law and consumer tests on child car seats:
With so much choice available to parents, many brands share ADAC scores for consumers to compare their car seat against others. But who are ADAC and what does it mean if a car seat has scored well in an independent car seat test?
Who are ADAC?
ADAC are Europe’s largest and most respected independent motorist association, testing many areas relating to motor vehicles including children’s car seats. The ADAC test is the best-known and most important test for child restraint systems in Europe.
WHAT DO ADAC TEST?
CYBEX’s award winning car seats tested by ADAC, Stiftung Warentest and Which?
CYBEX has received more than 450 awards for design, safety, and innovation. Their products undergo hundreds of crash tests every year, so they can be continuously improved. CYBEX car seats are regularly tested and evaluated by independent testing institutes. Their car seats are consistently test winners or score excellent marks in leading European safety and consumer tests, for example the ADAC safety test and Stiftung Warentest.
Award winning child car seats available at Halfords
At Halfords, we stock a wide selection of Cybex child car seats, suitable for a range of ages and all containing a variety of useful features. Some of the most popular Cybex car seats include:
Cloud Z i-Size
Safety Test Scoring: Cloud Z i-Size was Test Winner for “i-Size 45-87cm” in the May 2019 ADAC test
Age suitability: 45 - 87cm from birth up to approx. 24 months (Max 13kgs)
Key features of the Cloud Z i-Size car seat:
Sirona Z i-Size
Safety Test Scoring: Sirona Z i-Size + Base Z was Test Winner for “i-Size 45-105cm” in the May 2019 ADAC test
Age suitability: 45- 105cm from birth up to approx. 4 years (Max 18kgs)
Key features of the Sirona Z i-Size car seat:
Discover more about the Sirona Z i-Size
Pallas G i-Size
Safety Test Scoring: Pallas G i-Size was Test Winner for “toddler and child car seats from approx. 1 to 12 years” in the June 2021 ADAC Test
Age suitability: 76 – 150cm from 15 months up to approx. 12 years (approx. 9-50 kg)
Key features of the Pallas G i-Size car seat:
Discover more about the Pallas G i-size
Aton B2 i-Size with Base One
Safety Test Scoring: Aton B2 i-Size was Test Winner for “i-Size 45-87cm” in the May 2022 ADAC test
Age suitability: 45 - 87cm from birth up to approx. 24 months (Max 13kgs)
Key features of the Aton B2 i-size car seat:
Discover more about the Aton B2 i-Size
1 Müller G.; Kühn M.; Karakus B. ; Bende J. 2019. “Misuse of Child restraint systems: Additional Aspects of the 2017 GDV Field Study.“ Gesamtverband der Deutschen Versicherungswirtschaft e. V., Forschungsbericht Nr. 55.
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