Child restraint systems, everything you need to know

2021 is a year of changes on all fronts, and the regulations on child restraint systems are no exception. This year the new i-Size regulation has come into force, ECE R-129. Until now, this regulation has coexisted with ECE R44/04, which came into force in 1982. With the new i-Size regulation, the aim is to make it easier to choose and install these systems in cars.

The i-Size regulation divides child restraint systems into intervals that vary according to the child’s height and weight. Up to 15 months, only i-Size seats fitted rear-facing will be approved, with the aim of minimising neck injuries in the event of an accident. To make this regulation easier to apply, car manufacturers have set minimum dimensions for the seats. However, new i-Size seats can only be fixed to the vehicle using ISOFIX, to avoid possible errors when installing the system with the vehicle’s seat belts.

When should a Child Restraint System be used?

The answer is always: the regulation requires that all children under 1.35 m use one of these systems in the rear seats. There are only two cases in which they may be installed in the front seats:

• Two-seater vehicles or vans
• If all the rear seats are occupied by three other children with CRS respectively.

If a CRS has to be installed in the front seats, it is mandatory to deactivate the passenger airbag if the seat is rear-facing. If the seat faces forward, the airbag must be activated. Once the child exceeds 1.35 m they may use the seat belt, but it is advisable to continue using a CRS with a backrest until they are 1.50 m tall.

How to choose the right restraint system?

Seats approved under the new i-Size regulation are safer and easier to fit, although they can only be installed in vehicles that have ISOFIX. Under the new ECE R-129 regulation, classification is made by height:

• 40 to 85 cm, rear-facing installation: equivalent to Group O.
• 45 to 105 cm, rear-facing or forward-facing installation: equivalent to Group 0+/1.
• 100 to 150 cm, forward-facing installation: equivalent to Group II/III.

The Child Restraint System should be placed, whenever the vehicle allows it, in the central rear seat, since it is furthest from the sides and therefore from side impacts. If that seat does not have ISOFIX, it should be installed behind the front passenger seat for these reasons:

• Better visibility for the driver.
• Easier to get the child in and out; they will always be next to the pavement.
• On two-way roads or at roundabouts, the impact may come from the driver’s side.

What happens to CRS under the previous regulation?

Seats approved under ECE R44/04 can still be used. No deadline has yet been set for discouraging their use. In general, manufacturers of child restraint systems have not set an expiry date for child seats, but they refer to a useful life of between five and ten years. The European Nursery Products Confederation has established these criteria:

• “For seats in groups 0, 0+ and I, as well as those used rear-facing under the i-Size standard, a useful life of seven years from first use is estimated.”
• “For the remaining Groups II and III, as well as i-Size seats for older children, the useful life is estimated at ten years.”

If you still have doubts, we leave you the complete report prepared by RACE , which examined 29 child restraint system models.