After analyzing 30 models of child restraint systems, the RACE determines that the car seats placed in the opposite direction to the march are safer, so that parents should delay as much as possible the passage of the child to the chair that goes in the same direction of the march, at least until two years.
In a frontal collision, the restraint systems that are placed in the opposite direction to the march retain the whole body of the child and avoid any torsion movement of the neck. Since in a baby the weight of the head is large compared to the rest of the body, and they have little strength in the neck, in this position they are more protected against injuries.
The truth is that many "cuckoo" chairs that are placed in the opposite direction to the march around six or eight months, depending on the model, begin to remain small. The child no longer has room for the feet and the parents opt for a bigger chair so that they go more comfortable and can look at everything that happens around them.
Taking into account these investigations, and given that the safety of the little ones is the most important, manufacturers should consider modifying their models to guarantee both the safety and comfort of babies.
The current law does not specify the orientation in which the child seats have to be placed, however experts have evaluated the importance it has to safeguard the safety of children, so they consider including it in the regulations. The only reference to orientation is the prohibition of placing a rear-facing chair in the passenger seat, unless the front airbag has been deactivated.
In addition, of the safety in child restraint systems, in the 2011 edition of the RACE study, other elements of assessment for the user such as handling and ergonomics, hazardous substances and cleaning and clothing were analyzed in depth.
Of the nine models that scored the most, seven of them were chairs installed in the opposite direction to the march, while the other two models that received better scores were a carrycot that is installed transversely to the direction of the march and a chair installed in the direction of the march, which holds the child with a retention element with the help of the belt vehicle safety
The retention system that scored the best score considered the best test with a "Very satisfactory" is the Romer Baby Safe Plus II SHR with Isofix base. Another 16 were rated satisfactory, six acceptable, two unsatisfactory and five very unsatisfactory.
On the official site of the RACE you have the full report that will come in handy when choosing a child seat.
