A car seat for a child in a car is not only a fashion accessory or a way to control a child in a car. According to crash test data, the car seat allows you to provide your child with maximum safety both while driving, in case of sudden jolts, and in the event of an accident.
Seat classification
The device of a car child seat differs depending on its purpose, that is, taking into account what age children they are designed for.
Chairs of category "0" (they are also called carriers, infant carriers) are designed for children from birth and assume a horizontal (or almost horizontal) position of the child. They are installed only on the back seat of the car.
Chairs of category "0+" usually have two positions: for sitting and for sleeping. These seats are installed against the direction of the car's movement in the back or front seat and have two types of attachments: a universal seat belt, which cars are equipped with and a five-point internal belt (over both shoulders, on the belt and between the baby's legs).
Chairs of category "1" are installed in the direction of travel, they are also equipped with internal seat belts, and the chair is fixed with a universal belt.
Chairs "2", "3" do not have special belts: both the chair and the child are fixed with a car seat belt.
Basic rules for installing child car seats
According to statistics, six out of ten seats are not attached correctly, which means that they not only do not protect the child in the event of an accident, but they themselves can cause injury, even death. When installing the car seat in the car, carefully study the instructions that came with the car seat, and always follow them when installing the seat in the car, without making compromises due to the fact that the baby is naughty or asleep.
Please note that in category “0”, “0+” chairs, the baby's head must lie completely on the back of the seat, not peek out from behind it. This is necessary due to the fact that the child's head is quite large, and the cervical vertebrae are still fragile, in the event of an accident and even sudden braking there is a risk of injury to the cervical spine. For the same reason, these seats must always be installed against the direction of traffic.
Please note that the internal safety belts in the seats "0", "0+" should be located slightly lower, and in the seats "1" slightly above the baby's shoulder. If a child sits in a chair "2", "3", make sure that the car belt passes strictly through the middle of the child's shoulder, as if positioned higher, this can lead to suffocation, and when sliding down, the child may simply slip out.
Never secure the car seat with the back of the front seat.
Remember that the safest place to install a car seat is the place immediately behind the driver's seat, but in this case it is inconvenient for the driver to control the baby. Therefore, install the seat to the right or center on the rear seat.
