TYPES OF CHILD SEATS

          An appropriate child restraint is one which:
              >> conforms to the United Nations standard, ECE Regulation 44­03
              >> is suitable for the child's weight and size
              >> is correctly fitted according to the manufacturer's instructions. 


          Child restraints are divided into categories, according to the weight of the children for whom they are suitable. These correspond broadly to different age groups, but it is the weight of the child that is most important when deciding what type of child restraint to use. 
          Retailers often describe child restraints in terms of 'Stages': 
                        Stage 1 = Groups 0 and 0+
                        Stage 2 = Group 1
                        Stage 3 = Group 2
                        Stage 4 = Group 3


         Some child restraints are capable of being converted as the child grows and, therefore, fit into more than one group or stage. 
The main types are:



1 >> Rearward­facing Baby Seats



Group 0 for babies up to 10 kgs (22 lbs) roughly from birth to 6­9 months, or
Group 0+ for babies up to 13kg (29lbs) roughly from birth to 12­15 months 


         They can be used in the front or rear of the car. It is safer to put them in the rear. DO NOT put them in the front passenger seat if there is a passenger airbag. Rearward­facing seats provide greater protection for the baby's head, neck and spine than forward­facing seats. So, it is best to keep your baby in a rearward­facing seat for as long as possible. Only move them to a forward­facing seat once they have exceeded the maximum weight for the baby seat, or the top of their head is higher than the top of the seat.



2 >> Forward­facing child seat





Group 1 for children weighing 9­18 kgs (20­40 lbs) roughly from 9 months ­ 4 years. 


         They can be used in the front or rear of the car, but it is safer to put them in the rear, especially if there is a passenger airbag in the front. Only move your child to a booster seat once they have exceeded the maximum weight for the child seat, or the top of their head is higher than the top of the seat.


3 >> Booster seat



Group 2 for children weighing 15 ­ 25 kgs (33 ­ 55 lbs) roughly 4 to 6 years. 


        They can be used in the front or rear of the car, but it is safer to put them in the rear, especially if there is a passenger airbag in the front. Some Booster seats are designed to be converted into a booster cushion by detaching the back rest.


4 >> Booster Cushion





Group 3: for children weighing 22 ­ 36 kgs (48 ­ 79 lbs) roughly from 6 ­ 11 years. 


        They can be used in the front or rear of the car, but it is safer to put them in the rear, 
especially if there is a passenger airbag in the front. Booster seats and booster cushions do not 
have an integral harness to hold the child in place. The adult seat belt goes around the child and the seat. So it is important that the seat belt is correctly adjusted. 


        The basic points to note are:
               >> the belt should be worn as tight as possible
               >> the lap belt should go over the pelvic region, not the stomach
               >> the diagonal strap should rest over the shoulder, not the neck.