Place your child in the seat, fasten the seat belts and set off. An automatic gesture that thousands of parents repeat every day without asking too many questions. However, it is often underestimated that having a car seat is not enough. In fact, you need to choose it carefully based on the age of the child, install it in the right way and finally use it correctly. The data from the new survey by Altroconsumo show how, in Italy, the safety of the little ones is still too often overlooked.
The survey on car seats
The survey involved 600 families revealing that 32% of parents do not use the car seat correctly. Among the most common errors:
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The trend worsens with increasing age: if for newborns and children up to 23 months the parents’ attention is maximum, with older children the problems increase and around 32% travel in unsuitable child seats. These behaviors dramatically increase the risk of serious accidents.
Really worrying is the fact that 18% of parents do not always fasten the seat belts (in the South and in the Islands the percentage rises to 33%), convinced that they are not needed for short journeys or giving in to the child’s whims. In fact, even short journeys do not guarantee the absence of accidents.
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As we were already saying, it is not enough to have a seat, this must be suitable for the weight and height of the child. An error that affects 12% of overall cases, but which increases significantly with the age of the children. The use of inadequate or no child seats increases the risk of serious injury even in minor accidents.
27% of children under 4 years of age travel prematurely with the seat facing forwards, exposing the neck to serious injuries in the event of a frontal collision. Furthermore, 3% of parents place it rearward facing in the front seat without deactivating the airbag, an error that can be fatal even in the event of minor collisions.
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The i-Size models are still an exception
Despite the advantages of the i-Size regulation (ECE R129), which is based on the height of the child and forces the youngest to travel rear-facing until at least 15 months, only 2% of families use these seats. The majority (96%) still use models approved according to the old ECE R44 regulation, often purchased second-hand.
The i-Size models, which can be attached via Isofix, reduce the risk of installation errors and guarantee greater safety in the event of an accident, but lack of knowledge and high cost limit their diffusion.
Isofix and anti-abandonment systems: technologies still undervalued
The Isofix system is present only in part of families: 63% declare that they have both car and seat compatible, but another 22% cannot use it correctly. Furthermore, 21% of parents with children up to 4 years old do not yet have the mandatory anti-abandonment system, which is essential to reduce the risk of tragic accidents resulting from forgetting children in the car.
In purchasing choices, convenience trumps safety
When choosing a car seat, for 78% of parents the child’s comfort is more important than safety (68%). The price weighs less than the technical characteristics, and the choice often falls on new seats (68%) rather than used ones (8%), but not always updated or compliant with the most recent regulations.
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What parents need to know about car seats
This is the main information that all parents should know about car seats:
The experts at Altroconsumo they remind us that the safety of children in the car is not an option: even a few seconds of distraction or an error in choosing the seat can make the difference between life and death. Prevention, training and the correct use of safety devices must become a priority for all parents.
