A HANDFUL

Energetic and individual. Equipped with strong will and emotions. Smaller children are great fun but can be a handful. Not least in cars. Once seated, they normally look forward to the drive. Just remember though they should face rearward until they are about four.

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Seating & belting

Safety Science

Volvo solutions

REARWARD UNTIL FOUR

Rearward facing is the safest way for children to travel in cars until they have outgrown the seat and have reached an age of three–four years. It does not matter if the child has to bend its legs or touches the backrest with its feet. Take breaks often to let the child stretch and play. At about four years, the neck has become stronger and the child can be turned to face forward, using the standard safety belt in combination with a belt-positioning booster cushion.

NECK SUPPORT NEEDED

In a frontal collision, the head of a forward-facing car occupant is thrown forward with considerable force. Its momentum propels it downwards onto the breastbone and then back up again. An adult neck can withstand this strain relatively well, but a small child’s neck cannot. Given that frontal collisions are the commonest type of crash and often the most serious type too, it is particularly important for the youngest children to sit in rearward-facing seats.

TWO SEATS IN ONE

Volvo Cars is one of the few car makers who designs baby and child seats, made for and tested in their own cars. We provide a range of restraints to meet the different needs of babies to 12 year olds. These seats are appropriate for children of: Age: 9-12 months to 4 years. Weight: 9 kg to 25 kg.

From the age of 9 months to about 6 years of age a child can continue to be seated backwards in this new child seat. We recommend that children be seated rear-facing as long as possible.

When a child grows bigger (15-25 kg) and cannot comfortably be seated facing to the rear, this seat can also be used as a forward-facing booster seat. The seat’s belts are then removed and the booster seat will put the child at the correct position for the car’s own safety belt.

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Keep in mind

All children must be properly restrained. Always.

All children must be properly restrained. Always.

Children must never be placed in the passenger seat if the airbag is active.

Small children should travel in rearward-facing child restraints for as long as possible, at least until they are three to four years old.

Keep in mind

Remove bulky clothes so that the safety belt can be pulled tight, as close to the body as possible.

Remove or unzip warm clothing if necessary to prevent overheating and subsequent dehydration.

A child in a rearward-facing child seat is approximately 90% less likely to be injured in an accident compared to an unrestrained child.

Hard facts

Hard facts

Did you know?

Did you know?

Safety has always been the guiding principle behind everything we do at Volvo Cars.

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Volvo started researching child safety in the early 1960s. The first rearward-facing child restraint was launched in 1972.

Volvo Cars continues its child safety development as can be seen in the Volvo V70 and XC70 innovative integrated child booster cushions.

VOLVO ACCESSORIES

Mirror

Helps you keep an eye on the child facing rearward in the back of the car.

Sunshield

Easily adjusted to keep the sun away.

Activity bag

With a built-in cupholder and several practical compartments.

Kick guard

With pockets for storing toys and other small items.

Play table

Available for the belt-secured, non-ISOFIX child safety seat (3-18 kg).

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VOLVO ACCESSORIES

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SKIP INTRO

The instinct to protect our children is deeply imbedded within us.

It's an instinct, born of love.

In a few minutes this car will travel at a speed of 40 mph (64 km/h)

straight into this solid barrier.

In the car will be two children

One child that is 18 months old, and one child that is 3 years old.

My personal motivation to study this subject, began when

my sister was pregnant and I began asking questions like

How effective is the seatbelt during pregnancy.

How should it be worn and what is the effect on the mother and baby in a crash

This 18 month old child will be a part of our crash test.

It is one of our crash test dummies that has been calibrated to make sure all the data is gathered correctly.

To answer some of these questions we built Linda.

Volvo's first computer model of a pregnant crash test dummy.

The expectation is that in the future

Linda will answer many questions like the one's I've raised.

The test was very successful.

Everything indicates that the children in the car are completely unharmed.

A rear facing child seat in a safe car is the safest way to travel.

Volvo has more than 35 000 accidents registered in its database

and except in one extreme case, no child has been killed in a rear facing safety seat.

But what we know right know is that it is imperative to wear the seatbelt

during pregnancy, at all times and to wear it correctly.

To wear the belt correctly, the torso belt needs to run in between the breasts

and to the side of the abdomen and the lap belt must be as low as possible under the belly,

sitting on the left and right pelvic bones.

Rear facing seats are the safest ones. Children should be facing backwards for as long as possible

at least until they are 3-4 years old

When the child gets too big

it is time to start using a front facing booster seat

The idea is that the seat belt should be fastened over the hips or thighs

rather than over the stomach, and the torso belt should be positioned over the shoulder to keep the child as safe as possible

But what's important to remember is that

it's not only us performing research that is going to safe lives

It's relaying the knowledge we gain from the research today

to parents and insuring that they utilize this knowledge to safe their children's lives

This is what will make a difference

With today's rigorous testing and careful designs

It's never been easier to take responsibility

KNOWLEDGE SAVES LIVES

HEAD-ON COLLISION AT 40 MPH (64 KM/H)

KNOWLEDGE SAFES LIVES

LOTTA: LOTTA JAKOBSSON, Ph.D. RESEARCH MANAGER, VOLVO CARS SAFETY CENTRE

HEAD-ON COLLISION AT 40 MPH (64 KM/H)

Children grow up quickly. That’s why Volvo car’s convertible seat actually is two seats in one.

When they are small, children should be seated backwards in a seat that tucks them in and protects them in case of an accident.

The convertible child seat is easy to use and it is attached with the car’s seat belt.

The harness is not only comfortable, but also easy to use and to adjust.

The sensitive head and body is protected by a bolstered backrest that tucks the child in nicely.

Although it is preferable if the child is faced rearward for as long as possible,

when the child grows bigger he or she might not be comfortably faced in that position.

But the convertible child safety seat can be used in a forward facing position as well,

so that it can be used for a longer period than a regular seat.

When fitted like this it is a comfy booster seat that puts the child in the correct position for the belt.

The ISOFIX attachment system only allows you to fit a child seat in the correct way

making it very simple to use.

The ISOFIX frame fits into the car’s integrated ISOFIX attachments

and becomes one with the structure of the car, enhancing the seat's protective performance.

The seat locks into place in the ISOFIX frame and an indicator confirms that it is secure.

To help provide the best protection for small children, two variations have been developed.

For the very youngest travellers, the infant safety seat is suitable for those up to 13 kg.

It is easily installed using the car’s ISOFIX attachments and features side wings

designed to help protect in a side impact, and an easily adjusted headrest and harness.

The headrest is padded for a comfortable sleep, and there’s a canopy for shelter from the wind and sun.

The seat is easy to carry after a journey and it , can be used to rock the baby to sleep.

If necessary, a standard safety belt can be used to fit the infant safety seat without the frame.

When the child outgrows the infant safety seat the child safety seat takes over,

providing rearward-facing seating for children between 9 and 18 kg.

Benefits include advanced side-impact protection, an easily adjusted harness and ISOFIX attachments.

For greater comfort, the seat can be adjusted to different angles and a sun visor can be added.

BIOMECHANICS ENGINEER VOLVO

LAURA KVARNSTRAND

LOTTA JAKOBSSON, PH.D

SAFETY RESEARCH MANAGER VOLVO

Convertible child seat

Convertible child seat (9–25 kg)