Safety for children in the car Proper child seat crucial

Which child seat is the right one and which seats are the safest?
Children are particularly at risk in traffic accidents. Here, the child seat is to offer the highest possible safety. So are child seats "for children up to 12 years or with a smaller body size of less than 150 centimeters duty," reports the TÜV Thuringia. However, choosing the right seat and using it correctly is crucial to achieving the desired protection.

"Bringing children without a child seat or a corresponding booster seat in the car can lead to serious injuries in the event of an accident," warns the TÜV Thüringen. The risk of injury was increased many times over. For example, "poorly guided safety belts could severely damage the child's neck and head during a crash." Child seats are therefore required until the age of 12 or up to a height of 150 centimeters. However, according to Torsten Hesse of TÜV Thuringia, care should also be taken to ensure that individually suitable and only approved child seats are used. The choice is not the age, but the size and weight of the children crucial. "Especially during the daily drive to school parents should make sure that their children are properly strapped," said the TÜV expert on. Who does not secure his child properly in the vehicle, risking not only a fine or a point, but also serious injury to the child, even in supposedly minor accidents.

The right child seat, the correct installation and the seat position are crucial for the safety of children in the car. (Image: detailblick-foto / fotolia.com)

Select child seats according to the size and weight of the child
The conventional restraint systems in vehicles are not sufficient for children, because the seat belts offer effective protection only from a certain height, reports the TÜV Thuringia. For this reason, child seats are prescribed according to the StVO. "Parents should make sure that their children are properly strapped in the car. The belt must never rub on the neck, but it must rather be guided so that it rests on the shoulder, "emphasizes the TÜV expert Torsten Hesse. Parents must choose the appropriate one for their child from four different child seat classes (class 0+ for children under 13 kilograms body weight, class I for children up to 18 kilograms, class II to 25 kilograms and class III to 36 kilograms). For most school-age children who are taken in the car, the child seat class III for ages between six and twelve years and a weight of up to 36 kilograms is the right one, so the TÜV Thuringia on. First graders would possibly have to switch from the beginning of child seat class II to III.

Correct installation of the child seats
However, even when installing the child seat mistakes are possible that can lead to unnecessary hazards to the child. Parents should pay attention to the manufacturer's information, warns the TÜV. In addition, not all models are suitable for the passenger seat and in general, the safer places are in the back seat, stresses the TÜV traffic expert. "If only one child is taken in the car, it is advisable to place the child seat behind the front passenger seat," explains Hesse. Helpful are modern ISOFIX models, which - if present in the vehicle - can snap into the holders provided. For carpooling, it is important to have as many child seats on board as children to take along. (Fp)