(16 March 2010 update:The Federal State Council (Switzerland’s supreme governmental authority) is considering the possibility of allowing exceptions to the rule to strap all children under the age of 12, as long as they measure less than 150 cm, into adapted booster seats. The rule would not apply for transportation in third party cars. Source: Le Matin)
As from 1 April 2010, it will be obligatory throughout Switzerland for all children under the age of 12 to be strapped into child restraints (baby seats, child seats, booster seats and booster cushions), unless they measure more than 150 cm.
An exception will however be allowed until 31 December 2012 for seats that are only equipped with a two-point safety belt and not a three-point safety belt (usually the middle seat in the back) but only for children between the ages of 8 and 12 (unless they measure more than 150 cm).
That is because there are currently no seats that can be secured by two-point safety belts that are adapted to children above the weight of 25 kilos.
No exception applies for children to and including the age of 7, who under the current legislation, must be strapped into child restraints in all circumstances.
Surprisingly, children of all ages are allowed to travel in the passenger seat in front, as long as they are strapped into an appropriate child restraint. The seat must however be pushed back as far as possible in order to leave sufficient space for the airbag, should it be activated.
When baby seats are installed on the passenger seat facing away from the traffic, air bags MUST be deactivated (risk of crushing the infant). Otherwise, the baby seat must be strapped onto a back seat.
TCS (Touring Club of Switzerland) and bfu (Swiss Council for Accident Prevention) are taking a leading role in an accident prevention campaign. The paediatric surgeon Dr Hans-Walter Hacker insists that children are not miniature adults, since their heads are proportionally larger and heavier and their internal organs are not as well protected by a bone structure that has finished developing.
TCS estimates that up to the age of 12, children will need three different seats to be selected from five different categories according to size and weight. The rule of thumb to apply is that a seat must be changed when a child’s head reaches the top of the seat. The total cost for the three seats is about 1,000 Swiss francs at current prices. (Statistics do however indicate that at least 50 percent of children reach the height of 150 cm before the age of 12. Some other countries, including the UK, apply the height rule of 135 cm.)
To convince parents that the investment is necessary, TCS provides videos of crash simulations for five situations.
· Unattached 3-year old at 50 km/hour
· Child secured by a 3-point belt only
· Child on a booster seat without full backing
· Child on booster seat with full back
The recent legislation further edicts that child restraints must conform to the United Nations ECE Regulation R44.03 or R44.04. Versions R44.01 and R44.02 will no longer be allowed as from 1 April 2010.
The reference to check is on the yellow label on the underside of the seat: look for the first two numbers.
When purchasing a new seat, look out for ISOFIX, which stands for “International Standards Organisation FIX”, a new standard for installing child seats that is intended to make fitting child seats quick and simple.
The TCS has tested most child restraints available on the Swiss market and have come up with the following recommendations. They can be cross-referenced with images on link. Please note that Swisster does not endorse, nor can it be held responsible for recommendations made by TCS.
Watch the videos on how to install correctly:
More information:
Find out about legislation in other countries
on May 11th, 2010 at 7:52 am
Sparco makes some of the best car seats in the market. I usually prefer leather car seats over cloth.-*;