How should I install a child car seat?

With great care. Fitting and securing your child’s car seat correctly is crucial to his safety. So before you start, read the instruction manual that came with the seat, as well as your car’s user manual. Then follow the instructions to the letter. It may not be the most riveting of reads, but this part is essential.

As many as six out of 10 child car seats are not fitted correctly, or aren’t being used properly. In some areas of the UK, it was found to be as high as eight out of 10 car seats. A child who is not restrained properly may be killed at speeds as low as 5mph (8km/h). That’s just above walking pace.

If your child is propelled forward due to not being properly restrained, he could also injure, or even kill, other people who are sitting in the car.

So it pays to take extra time and care to fit your seat correctly and securely.

Where in the car should the seat be fitted?

It’s best to install a car seat in a rear-facing position on the back seat. The safest spot is usually the middle rear, provided the car seat fits correctly.

If your car has side airbags, make sure your child sits properly in his seat and doesn’t lean close to, or against, the door or window. Check with the manufacturer how far the airbag comes out when it deploys.

Never use a rear-facing seat on a passenger seat that’s fitted with a front airbag. It’s illegal and unsafe to do so, unless the airbag has been deactivated.

When can I move from rear-facing to forward-facing?

Your baby must stay in a rear-facing seat until he’s over 9kg, or over 15 months old if you’re using an i-Size seat. After this, it’s still best to use a rear-facing seat for as long as possible, as it’s the safest option.

You’ll know that your baby has outgrown his first seat when the top of his head is level with the top of the seat. At this point, you can opt for a larger (Group 1 or Group 2) rear-facing seat. If your child is older than 15 months and can hold his head up on his own for periods of at least 30 minutes, you could also choose a forward-facing seat.

There is an overlap in the weight ranges of forward-facing and rear-facing seats. If you have a choice, it’s best to use a rear-facing seat.

Group 1 extended rear-facing car seats are an increasingly popular option if you want to keep your child rear-facing once he has outgrown his Group 0+ seat. As with any car seat, installing it correctly is vital. These seats can be quite bulky, so they are more likely to be incorrectly fitted.

What are i-Size car seats?

i-Size is a European standard for car seats, that runs alongside the current UK regulations (R44/04). The main differences are:

• R44/04 seats are sold according to the weight of the baby or child, while i-Size seats are sold according to height.
• If you use a seat that’s sold by weight, your child needs to stay rear-facing until he weighs over 9kg. If you use an i-Size seat, he’ll need to stay rear-facing until he’s over 15 months old.
• i-Size seats have to go through more safety checks before they can be sold.
• All i-Size seats are fitted using the Isofix system. Many weight-based seats also use this system, but not all.

i-Size seats may eventually replace weight-based (R44/04) seats. But for now, it’s completely up to you which type you buy.

How do I fix the car seat in my car?

Cars with Isofix

Most new cars use International Standards Organisation Fix (Isofix) for fitting car seats safely and securely. All new cars, except those with one row of seats, have been fitted with Isofix since November 2014. Regulation 129 (i-Size), introduced in July 2013, is the new Isofix standard, with new vehicles using the R129 (i-Size) compatibility from November 2014.

Isofix anchorage points allow you to fix the seat securely and rigidly, provided the points are compatible. Check the vehicle manufacturer and child restraint company’s compatibility lists. Isofix points make fitting the seat correctly much simpler, as you just slot the seat in, rather than struggle with belts.

Isofix anchorage points are found in the back of the car, in the gap between the upholstery. There may also be insertion aids for the connectors that will lock in to the points. There may be a top tether or supporting leg that needs to be in place, too. A green indicator will show when it is correctly positioned.

Check the vehicle manual for the top tether and/or foot prop positions. If the vehicle has a floor compartment for storage, the foot prop may not fit the vehicle correctly.

If you’re not sure that a seat with Isofix will fit your car, ask the retailer for advice about your model and make of vehicle, or contact your car’s manufacturer. Not every Isofix car seat will fit in every car that has Isofix points. See car seat manufacturer websites, such as Britax and MaxiCosi, for which models fit which cars.

Isofix covers Group 0, Group 0+ and Group 1 child safety seats. Isofit covers Group 2 and Group 3 seats, and anchors the high back booster to the vehicle’s Isofix system. You must also use the adult seat belt to secure your child.

Cars without Isofix

Cars manufactured before 1997, and some made after that, may not have these fixing points, in which case you will need to use seat belts to secure the car seat. However, i-Size seats must be fixed using Isofix.

When securing a car seat with a seat belt, pass it through the correct points and check that the belt isn’t slack or twisted. There should be hardly any forward or side movement. Check that the seat belt buckle is not resting on the child seat frame, as it could mean that the buckle fails to hold in the event of a crash.

How should I go about installing the seat?

• Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions. If you can’t find them, contact the seat’s manufacturer or search online.
• Some seats feature a base, top tethers and/or foot props that can be used for rear-facing or forward-facing car seats. There may also be an internal harness or impact shield, and built-in locking clips or seat belt pretensioner devices. Check the fitting instructions in relation to the weight of your child.
• For a combination seat, keep the instructions handy. You’ll need them to fit the seat belt and child harness when you switch it’s position.
• Fit the car seat as firmly as possible, with no excessive movement. Ensure that the buckle of the seat belt lies clear of the seat’s frame. If the buckle is allowed to rest on the frame, it may snap open if you have an accident.
• If it’s tricky to get a firm fit, or to avoid the buckle sitting near to the frame, try fitting the child seat in another seat position.

How can I strap my baby in safely?

• Adjust the harness before and during every trip. If there’s too much slack, it won’t fully protect your child in an accident. You should only be able to put two fingers, at the most, between the harness and your child’s chest.
• The harness buckle should be as low as possible, to keep the lap section of the harness across your child’s pelvis, and not resting on his stomach.
• Make sure that your child is strapped in properly, and that doesn’t just mean tightly. The harness and chest pads must all be correctly adjusted according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

If you’re in any doubt, contact us at the store and if you are local we can advise or fit on-site, if not contact your local council’s road safety department to ask if they can recommend a local expert who can help you to fit your car seat correctly. Many councils run child car seat check days, when a trained inspector and road safety officer will be on hand to help you to get it right.