Safety seats ‘will lower child injuries’

Date: 11/04/02

By Peter Chapman

EUROPEAN motor safety experts are set to agree a new parent-friendly system for 'clip-in' child safety seats that could slash the number of injuries to children involved in accidents.

The new one-size-fits-all standard will lower the risk of parents making a mistake when seating their children - a major factor in injuries.

David Burleigh, technical director for leading manufacturer Britax Childcare, said the new standard - that builds on an existing norm known as ISOFIX - will 'dramatically reduce the risk and levels of misuse frequently seen with adult belt installed systems'.

'Current misuse levels are variously reported at between 60 and 70%. The rigid attachment of ISOFIX CRS allows better management of the crash energy. The reduction in misuse levels should bring about an overall improvement in child occupant safety,' he said.

'The installation is from the consumers point of view far simpler and can be achieved in a few seconds rather than minutes.'

He said the system will likely be similar to standards already in place in the US, Australia and Canada. These use two steel anchor bars between the back of a car seat and the cushion that couple directly to the sides of the child seat, without using the belt.

ISOFIX seats are already on the market in Europe, but are only designed to fit specific cars. The standard will allow users to switch them between cars. A vote on the issue will be taken in May at the United Nations European Economic Commission in Geneva.

European motor safety experts are set to agree a new parent-friendly system for 'clip-in' child safety seats that could slash the number of injuries to children involved in accidents.