The safety of children in the car is the priority of every parent and attention is never enough. Auto seats represent one of the most important tools to ensure a safe journey for small passengers.
This article is sponsored by a precious child. Here you will find a more exhaustive explanation.
The safety of children in the car is the priority of every parent and attention is never enough, as the data of theEuropean Transport Safety Council on car accidents: every week Over 600 children They remain injured on the European roads. Auto seats represent one of the most important tools to ensure a safe journey For small passengers.
In reality, the word seat generally indicates what the law calls “REERMBERRY SYSTEM FOR CHILDREN“, But there are three types of withholding systems: the seat, the rise (or rise with back) for older children and the egg (or spacecraft) for infants.
In Italy the reference legislation for car seats is theArticle 172 of the Highway Codewhile for the homologation of the device we look at the ECE R129 legislation. In this article, in addition to explaining you better what the law on car seats says, with particular attention to the R129 legislationwe will provide some tips on how to choose and use these devices correctly.
The rules for car seats
The Italian legislation clearly establishes the rules for the transport of children by car. Article 172 of the Highway Code says that “The children of stature less than 1.5 meters must be insured at the seat with a withholding system for children, adequate for their weight, of the approved type “. Therefore, the rules established are three:
- if theheight of the child It is less than 150 centimeters less than the use of a seat;
- The device of withholding must be approved;
- The seat must be adapted to weight of the child.
So, when the child is under the meter and a half in height, it is mandatory that travel by car on a seat and only when it exceeds this height can you use seat belts. As the child grows, and increases in weight, it will be necessary to replace the device or change the configuration. The Traffic Laws It does not fix a maximum weight value, but in practice it refers to a limit of 36 kg.
Paragraph 1bis of article 172 of the highway code also provides that when the child is less than 4 years old it is also necessary to use a anti-abandonment devicewhich can be both separated and integrated at the seat, the important thing is that it activates automatically with each use with an acoustic, visual or optical signal. In this way, the adult will avoid forgetting the child in the car.
The approval is certified by alabelusually sewn on the device or in any case applied on it, which is also reported on the package. The highway code does not make distinctions between homologations, this means that systems produced and approved on the basis of previous regulations can still be used, modified or even repealed. Let’s take a practical example: from 1 September 2024 they will be available on the market Only the ECE R129 approved seatsbut the parents who purchased before this date ECE 44 approved seats (i.e. that comply with the requirements of the previous legislation) can still continue to use it, without meeting any sanction.
To have been expressly prohibited are only the seats approved according to the UN-ECE R44/01 standards And R44/02 Products before 1995. However, the safety of their children is not something to be underestimated. Therefore, when choosing a withholding system, you must rely on approved products in accordance with the most recent technical regulations.
The news of the R129 legislation and the I-Size
There R129 legislation It entered into force in 2013 and joined the previous ECE R44/04. From 1 September 2023, the legislation ECE R129 He has definitively replaced the ECE R44, becoming the only European legislation approved for the approval of the car seats.
From September 2024 only car seats approved according to this legislation can therefore be sold to consumers. The objective of the R129 legislation is of Increase safety standards of children in the car, simplifying the choice of the seat to parents.
Also improperly known as I-Size legislationthe ECE R129 focuses on the installation of the seat by means of the isofix attachment system for the younger children’s products, up to 105 centimeters in height, and establishes rigid specifications for the age and size of the child. The concept of “i-Size” indicates one classification based on height Instead of weight and this approach it aims to simplify the choice of parents in finding the most suitable seat for the size of their child.
The legislation also establishes theUse of the seat in the opposite direction to that of the car of the car, at least up to 15 months of the child’s age and up to 76 centimeters.
Finally, another novelty concerns homologation: to obtain it, the seat must pass more rigid tests which also include the lateral impact, in addition to the frontal and rear -end one.
So, What changes with the ECE R129 legislation? The innovations introduced concern:
- the classification of the seats based on the height of the child;
- The verse of installation of the device: up to 15 months the child must travel in the opposite direction of march;
- The approval: to obtain it, the seats must pass front, rear -end and even lateral impact tests. The tests for lateral impacts were introduced because according to research conducted by the World Health Organization in 2006 (EEVC Working Group 18 Report Child Safety) these are very frequent and also very dangerous accidents.
What are the differences between The ECE R129 and I-Size legislation? To explain them well Joie Not only on his site, but also on his Instagram profile, used to make disclosure on these issues. The ECE R129 legislation refers to the European Regulation and guarantees, as we have seen, one better protection from lateral impacts.
I-Size is instead an extension of this legislation, the objective of which is that of Make all car seats compatible with all vehicles.
Homologation i-sizeIn fact, it simplifies the choice of the seat, because it allows you to understand immediately, thanks to the set yellow symbol, if the device is compatible with the i-Size approved vehicle, thus reducing the risk of incorrectly installing the withholding system thanks to specific size requirements.
How it should be a safe seat
To guarantee thePurchase of a compliant car seat to the highest security standards established by the ECE R129 and I-Size approved. In the case of the Joie seats, to find out if there is this approval, simply make sure that the name of the seat provides for the presence of the letter “I” (for example, I-Prodigi ™). I-Size approval is very important in a seat and allows higher safety standards. To give an example: a seat that follows the ECE R129 and I-Size legislation It does not allow children up to 15 months and 76 centimeters travel in the direction of travel, an accortness that is necessary because the muscles of their neck are not yet strong enough to support the head in the event of a collision.
Where you put and when you use it
The seat must be oriented appropriately Based on the age of the child: babies must travel in an ergonomic position, as relaxed as possible, while older children can be placed in a semi-seated position. It is crucial to check regularly that the seat is well -positioned and that the child is correctly connected.
The seats that are fixed through the belts are universally compatible with all carsincluding the most dated ones. The withholding systems equipped with the ISOFIX system are distinguished by an easier and faster installation procedure, without the need to use car belts. These seats become integral part of the caroffering a greater practicality.
It is important to know, however, that they are not compatible with all car models, as they require specific predisposed attacks. With the introduction of the ECE 129 legislation it is mandatory to use a back for all car seats intended for children with aheight less than 125 cm (for newly concept products) and place the car seat in the opposite direction to the driver of up to 15 months.
The use of withholding devices is a legal obligation, and those who do not comply with this legislation is subject to penalties that vary from 80 to 323 eurosin addition to the possible Suspension of the license For a period between 15 days and two months in the case of two violations of the same infringement over two years.
The safety of our little ones is of primary importance. With children, a exemplary behavior It has more impact than any speech. With grandparents, relatives and friends, it is essential to be stopped in safety requests and share these virtuous practices. We must never hesitate to insist so that children are correctly connected to the seats, spacecrafts and eggs. Life is an irreplaceable value, and protecting our treasures is a commitment that goes beyond any comfort or personal preference.
