New Regulation for Child Restraints
On 9 July 2013, a new child seat safety regulation came into force. Every child seat sold in Europe must conform to its requirements before it can receive an official approval certificate. Known as Regulation 129 (Reg. 129), it will eventually replace the current regulation (Reg. 44), which is to be slowly phased out. |
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Reg. 44 has been in place since the early 1980s, but since this time the cars we drive have changed radically. We also have a new understanding of what actually happens during an accident. The new regulation is designed to reflect this.
Seats approved under Reg. 129 will offer enhanced safety features, including a new sizing system (i-Size), to ensure that children are using the correct seat. Child seats approved under the old regulation will still be legal for use.
Enhanced protection from side impact
Side impact collisions account for around 25% of road accidents in Europe. Despite this, current legislation takes no account of side impact protection. Crucially, the new regulation will include side impact testing, with separate tests being carried out for the smallest and largest size of child that will fit into the seat. To pass the test, seats must be able to absorb the energy from a side impact, while ensuring the child’s head stays in the head rest.
Advanced technology
Under Reg. 129, tests will be carried out using a new generation of child crash test dummies, known as the Q series. These new high-tech dummies behave in a more realistic way and provide much more information than was previously possible, such as the acceleration of the chest and head. They also measure the effect on the neck and (soon to be introduced) abdomen during an impact. The current regulation only requires the measurement of chest acceleration.
New classification
The new i-Size sizing system for child seats is based on a child’s height and weight, and is much more accurate than the previous system. Seats designed for children younger than 15 months must now always be rearward facing. There will also be a limit of 33Kg on the total weight of a seat and occupant. Lighter and easier to install seats are safer and will also ensure that ISOFIX vehicle mountings are not overloaded.
Improved car-child seat compatibility
To ensure that child seats are compatible with a greater range of vehicles, from July 2013, all new vehicles will have ‘i-Size-ready’ seating positions. This means that any i-Size child seat will fit into any i-Size position in a car, regardless of design. A vehicle fitting list (showing which vehicles a child seat will fit) is no longer required. For seats being used in pre-July 2013 vehicles, a vehicle fitting list will still be required. To check whether a car or child seat conforms to the new regulation, look out for the i-Size label.
The future
Initially, Reg.129 will only be applicable to ISOFIX child restraints with an internal harness. However, future phases of the new regulation will apply the requirements of Reg.129 to all child seats.
TRL and Good Egg Safety have produced an i-Size briefing card for road safety professionals and a leaflet for parents and carers, which can be downloaded free of charge from the Good Egg website.
