Today Eleonora and Rabea are talking about one topic that we feel is very important, but is very often left out, here in Finland - which is car seat safety.
We will be talking about what the laws and recommendations are here in Finland, why rear facing saves lives and what are the most common myths regarding car seat safety among parents.
CAR SEAT RECOMMENDATIONS
Newborn - 15kg* baby car seat (*until the baby grows out of the seat's maximum limits - weight OR height, whatever comes first)
Toddler 9-25kg* RF seat (*until at least the age of 4)
25kg* - 150cm booster seat (*if changing into a FF car seat before the 25kg or age, at least 5, FF seat with a harness is the safest option)
Before moving to a booster seat, your child should:
SAFETY TESTS
ECE-R44 (European approval standard)
Seats are tested in frontal collisions at 50 km/h and rear collisions at 30 km/h using crash test dummies and measuring instruments designed to see how well the seats protect the test dummies.
ADAC
50% of the emphasis is on collision results and 50% relates to user-friendliness, comfort, instructions for use and installation methods.
This is a worst-case scenario test, that means the poorest result will influence the total score.
Plus Test
The Plus test is an optional test developed for child safety seats released onto the Swedish market. Similar tests are not conducted elsewhere in Europe. The tests are conducted by the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI).
Plus Test has such strict requirements that forward facing child car seats would not be able to comply with the Plus test. The thinking behind the test is that no children sitting in a child car seat which is Plus Test labelled would sustain any serious/life-threatening injuries in a collision.
LINKS
Finnish Road Safety Council
https://www.liikenneturva.fi/en/road-safety/child-car
https://www.liikenneturva.fi/en/road-safety/child-safety-seats-frequently-asked-questions
Scientific part of RF really well explained
https://www.fatherly.com/health-science/physics-rear-facing-car-seats-kids/
Explaining different safety tests
https://www.besafe.com/en/child-car-safety-tests/explaining-tests-and-approvals/
Car seats for the Littles (CSFTL) - great resource regarding overall car seat safety
https://csftl.org/
CSFTL FB group - very helpful community that has several trained car seat professionals (can help with seat installation, choosing the right seat for your family and car, and many more)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/394663900632207
Debunking myths about rear facing
https://csftl.org/rear-facing-car-seat-myths-busted/
Harness or booster seat
https://csftl.org/harness-or-booster/