Car seats – an independent view

The Consumers' Association magazine Which? has raised the temperature in the child car seat debate with its recent declaration that many seats under perform in terms of safety and ease of use.

The Consumers' Association and the AA Motoring Trust also tested seats in front-on crashes at 40mph and side-on crashes. The test highlighted design weaknesses that would not have shown up in the standard UK 30mph test, in many of the 52 car seats available in Europe - 20 of which are on sale in the UK.


So we asked an independent expert for his view on child car seat safety.

John Horsfall founded Sitsafe In Car Safety Ltd in 1986. Through his involvement in selling and installing child car seats for 17 years he become an acknowledged specialist in the field of in car seat safety.

In March 2003 he sold his car seat business to concentrate on his growing consultancy business, Sitsafe In Car Safety (Consultancy), which provides training, talks, advice and transportation policies. The consultancy’s clients includes local authorities, manufacturers and retailers.

A dilemma for parents..
New parents have many difficult decisions to make but choosing the correct child car seat is one of the most important.

It would be lovely if there was a system whereby you could install any car seat into any car perfectly, the seat was easy to fit and you could have the design of your choice. Not so at the moment - but with the recent introduction of a new installation system called ISOfix it could be a possibility in the future.

Although there has never been a wider choice of car seats, there is much confusion among parents trying to make the correct choice.

Regular press articles continue to report that not all car seats fit all cars and that up to 80 per cent of people fit their seats incorrectly. Added to this, The Consumers’ Association magazine, Which? (June03), has highlighted weaknesses in the standards tests currently used to certify a seat safe for sale.

The current standard, known as ECE R44.03, has been amended over the years. Despite these amendments, which have all contributed to improving product safety, the crash testing criteria still needs to be updated to make it more realistic - and give the right level of protection for today’s travelling child.

After all, there are more cars on the road, travelling greater distances at faster speeds and our life styles are generally busier.

Testing
To comply with the present standard a seat manufacturer only has to meet requirements to protect a child in a front-on crash on a test bench (Sled) at 30mph. However, most accidents in the UK occur outside built up areas where it is more likely a vehicle would be travelling in excess of 30mph. Some 25 per cent of all accidents are the result of side impacts.

As we learn more about what happens we must make improvements in the design of car seats and update crash test procedures, particularly in relation to impact speed. The introduction of side impact testing will ensure the seats of tomorrow give child occupants a higher level of protection relative to modern day needs.

In my opinion the responsibility for child in car safety lies with the official bodies that impose the standards, car and car seat manufacturers, retailers who supply the seats, and parents.

In general, vehicle passengers have benefited from the development of car safety, influenced by the EuroNCAP car crash test programme. There is a need for children in car seats to benefit similarly. Hopefully with the development of the National Programme for the Assessment of Child Seats (NPACS), and pressure from European motoring organisations and consumer groups, we will see the severity of R44.03 rising. This should ensure that the standard for child safety in cars increases all over Europe.

Manufacturers
There is also a need for car seat manufacturers to improve the design of their seats, in particular with regard to side impact. Some are already doing so but there are others who are not.

Car manufacturers design their cars primarily for the comfort and safety of adult passengers - this can make it extremely difficult to fit a child car seat correctly and optimise its performance in a crash situation. Car seat manufacturers have always been faced with the difficult challenge of producing a universal seat that provides the same level of protection whatever the car. The new ISOfix system attaches the car seat directly to the body of the car without using the car’s seatbelts. Its introduction will hopefully simplify the procedure of installing car seats and improve safety for the child. ISOfix is still in its infancy and is not yet a universal system but it is the future of child car seats.

We also need to control the way in which car seats are sold. A national register could be set up identifying retailers whose staff are trained and officially approved. Selling a product on which a child’s life could depend is a responsibility. All car seat manufacturers should offer training to enable retailers selling their products to have the knowledge to advise customers on their choice of car seat. They should have staff able to install the seat - ensuring it is compatible - and then show the customer how to fit the seat correctly themselves.

And back to parents
If parents receive the correct advice, they should then be in a position to make sure that the seat is fitted and used correctly.

But in the end, parents must ultimately take responsibility themselves for the safety of their child in their car.

John Horsfall's contact details are as follows:-
Sit Safe In Car Safety (Consultancy) Ltd
Bradford Road
Stockbridge
Keighley
BD21 4AH
Tel 01535 749813
mobile 07974 143018
info@sitsafe-consultancy.co.uk