New aspects for optimizing child restraint systems: experiences from accidents, trolley tests and interviews

Restraining children in cars is essential in order to increase their safety. The experience with child restraint systems (CRSs) is positive. However, improvements in system characteristics, handling and acceptance are necessary. Dynamic trolly tests have been carried out with different kinds of CRSs on the basis of previously published injury patterns in children. These tests showed that in addition to the force loading on children caused by the type of CRS the major problem that exists is connected with the CRS's characteristics for fastening it to the car. The relative belt geometry of the cars and problems of slack may often produce unfavourable movements of the CRS. These were observed in the tests. Some of the conditions of the compliance testing according the ECE-R 44 no longer represent actual real life conditions. Proposals for improvement are given. Problems of misuse, and CRS handling and acceptance are discussed. These findings are based on extensive interviews with 1,282 parents on problems they had with CRSs. Information was received on a total of 1,903 products. The results are subdivided into 9 different types of CRSs. Proposals for future CRS development which go beyond purely technical safety measures are also derived from this investigation. (A) For the covering abstract of the conference see IRRD 864606.