According to the rules of the road, a child from birth to 12 years old must be transported in a child car seat. The car seat is selected according to the age and weight of the child, up to 12 years old you will have to change at least three different seats, each of which has its own characteristics.
For the little ones
Car seat group 0 is suitable for children from birth and weighing up to 10 kg. It is, in fact, a car seat that is installed in the car against the direction of travel in the back or front seat. If the seat is placed in the front seat, the front airbag must be deactivated. The child is fixed in the car seat with 3- or 5-point belts. The car seat itself is attached using standard belts or using the Isofix system (depending on the car seat model and vehicle equipment).
Group 0+ seat is suitable for children from birth up to 13 kg. These chairs differ from group 0 in their large size and weight, sometimes they have a changing position of the back. A child can ride in such a chair for up to one and a half years.
Middle link
Car seat group 1 is suitable for children weighing from 8 to 18 kg or from 9 months to 4 years. The seat of group 1 is installed on the rear seat in the direction of the vehicle. The child in the seat is fastened with 5-point seat belts. The chairs of this group can have various modifications.
The main difference is the ability to change the backrest tilt in several positions, headrest height adjustment. Some car seats have a belt tension indicator, a sound signal when a child is not fastened correctly, an additional seat lock with an emphasis on the floor. There are car seats with reinforced side protection, which keeps the child's head in place during sharp turns.
Quite grown up
Groups 2/3 have slight differences. This group of car seats is designed to transport children weighing 15 to 36 kg aged 4 to 12 years. In the car seats of these groups, the child is fastened using the standard car belts. The seat is installed in the direction of the vehicle in the back seat. The difference between groups 2 and 3 is often the size of the chair itself. Armchairs of the third group are wider and higher. And the rest of the differences depend on the imagination of the manufacturers. There are car seats with a built-in audio system that allows the child to listen to music and watch a regular TV without disturbing other passengers.
If the child is large and in a standard seat of group 3 it is cramped for him, you can put him on a booster. The booster is a seat that allows the child to sit higher and wear regular seat belts. If the belts pass under the throat of the child due to the short stature of the child, use a special adapter that takes the belt below and fixes it in a safe position.
