A car trip with children can quickly become exhausting and stressful, especially if it lasts a little longer. worries about the safety of their little travel companions are often compounded by the bad moods of bored children. Read here about the best place for your children to sit in the car, how to protect them from potential hazards, and which little helpers will keep even long car journeys entertaining.
| Children in the car |
| 1. Where do children sit in cars? 2. Tips& information about child seats 3. doors, heat& co.: recognizing sources of danger 4. Fun and games in the car |
1. Where do children sit in the car?
Regardless of age, it is generally advisable to seat children in the car on the back seat accommodate. In the event of an accident, these are the safer seats. However not mandatory by law, placing children exclusively in the rear seats. Since 1993, the German Road Traffic Act (stvo) has only stipulated that children in cars must have a suitable child seat need, as long as they younger than 12 or smaller than 1.50 meters are. It’s up to you where you place the child seat and your child.
For many children, the passenger seat exerts an immense attraction. After all, from there you have the best view and can already feel quite big. If there are a lot of people in the car, it is often essential to put the large child seat in the front. In these cases, make absolutely sure that the airbag off is when you use a baby car seat or a rear-facing child seat. if your child is sitting in a forward facing seat, the airbag must be on. To protect your child from the force of the airbag in the event of an accident, it is best to move the passenger seat as far back as possible.
the safest place for your child is the middle seat of the back seat.
Tests have shown that the middle seat in the back the safest place for children in the car is. there they are also a little more protected from a side impact. However, you can only install the child seat there if your car is also equipped with a seat belt in this seating position three-point seat belt is equipped. Child seats must never be combined with a lap belt.
2. Tips& information about child seats
When selecting a suitable child seat, two criteria are particularly important: firstly, the seat must comply with the european standard for child safety ECE R44 correspond. Approved seats according to ECE R44 standard have a test number ending in 03 or 04.
On the other hand it must be exactly fit to the age, size and weight of the child. In germany, child seats are classified according to the weight of the child and divided into the following categories standard groups classified:
- Group 0: up to 10 kg (around birth to 1 year)
- Group I: 9 to 18 kg (about 1 to 4 years)
- Group II: 15 to 25 kg (about 3.5 to 7 years)
- Group III: 25 to 36 kg (about 7 to 12 years)
In the meantime, there are fewer and fewer child seats that fall precisely into one of these groups. Especially group II has become rare. Instead, in the specialized trade more and more seats that grow with your child offered. These include several standard groups and can be adapted to the growing child over the years. While newborns in the infant carrier (group 0), you can then also choose a seat that grows with your child. The fact alone that it is a classic seat or a seat that grows with the child does not give any indication of the quality and safety of the seat.
The most important thing is that the child seat fits your child perfectly. test sitting is therefore essential. The standards mentioned are only a guideline. Every child grows at a different rate. While one is still too small for group II at the age of 4, another may have already outgrown group I at the age of 3.
Read the latest test reports beforehand, get advice from specialists and try out the child seat at your leisure – then you will be sure to find the right seat for you.
© mnstudio – stock.Adobe.Com
child seats in rental cars
3. doors, heat& co.: recognize sources of danger
That car trips can be dangerous is not necessarily a new realization. But especially for children there are some dangers lurking in the vehicle. However, many can at least be significantly reduced if you take simple measures beforehand. We have the most common sources of danger we have compiled a list of safety tips and show you how you can best protect your children in the car.
Heat in the car
one of the biggest dangers for children in the car is heat. Apart from the fact that it is not advisable to leave children unattended in the car, it can become extremely critical, especially on hot days. When the outside temperatures climb 32 ° C, often arises in the closed car already after ca. 15 minutes one heat above 45 °C, which can be fatal for small children. Therefore, make sure that appropriate temperatures in the car and let your child not left unattended. This can be problematic not only on hot summer days.
Activate child safety lock
just a moment ago, your child was calmly looking at a picture book, then suddenly the door handle becomes interesting and before you can react, your child has opened the car door while driving. A dangerous situation! Therefore, especially in the case of small children, remember to use the child safety lock to be activated at the accessible car door. In most car models, all you have to do is flip a switch on the corresponding door.
Distraction by children
Perhaps the greatest danger when driving with children, are distracted parents at the wheel. Whether your offspring is making merry chatter behind you or whining in annoyance, your concentration should always be on the traffic while driving, not on what’s happening in the backseat. If you feel that your children need your attention you better stop. If they turn backwards while driving or pick up lost toys from the floor, this is very dangerous for all vehicle occupants.
4. fun and games in the car
On short trips to the supermarket your offspring is usually still quite entertained with a book or the passing events. On longer journeys, however, an annoyed "when are we finally daaaa" can quickly be heard?"through the car. To ensure that long car journeys do not become an unpleasant necessity, but a fun family outing, it is worth a little preparation.