We are all clear that young children should be properly seated in their chairs when traveling by car (and preferably backwards until four years of age). But, How long should they use a child restraint system (SRI)?
Unfortunately, many parents believe that when their children turn six, eight or ten years old they are "old enough" to be able to travel only with the seat belt of the vehicle, without being aware of the important risks they would have in case of collision or sudden braking. We explain why the car belt can be dangerous for children who have not reached the recommended height, and therefore, how long they should travel in an SRI.
How long should a child use an SRI?
The General Regulation of Circulation of the DGT that regulates the use of the SRI and the safety belt, establishes that all occupants whose height is equal to or less than 135 cm in height must use a restraint system adapted to their weight and height, though recommend prolonging its use until the child reaches 150 cm.
In any case, if we have doubts about whether our child can already wear the seat belt that we use for adults, the DGT advises to look at how the band that passes through the shoulder looks. If it touches the neck or passes under the chin, the child should continue to use an SRI.The devices will always be placed in the rear seats except in the following exceptions:
In two-seater cars where there are no rear seats
When all rear seats are already occupied by other minors of the same characteristics
When it is not possible to install all child restraint systems in the rear seats
Experts insist that the use of appropriate SRI to the child reduce the risk of death by 75%, and the risk of injury by 90% in case of collision. In addition, according to the Traffic and Traffic Safety Act in force, not carrying the child in his car seat can lead to fines, removal of points from the license and be grounds for immobilization of the vehicle.
Preferably, when the child has reached 150 cm in height he could already travel only with the seat belt that we use adults, but in this case it is important to consider these aspects for proper use:
In all cases, the diagonal band of the belt must pass through the clavicle, over the shoulder and well attached to the chest, while the horizontal band should be as low as possible on the hip.
The belt must not be twisted.
Nothing should be put under the belt in order to go more comfortable.
The belt should be tight and fit properly to the body.
Place the backrest in an upright position.
You should never travel with your coat on.
The dangers of wearing only the seat belt when you should still go in an SRI
The belt is the most important element for passive safety inside the vehicle, since it acts as a brake for the body in the event of a collision. But, as we have just mentioned, it is useless to buckle it in any way, or to think that it will be enough to retain and protect a child who does not reach the recommended height to travel like this.
The other day I saw this viral video of an American campaign about the risks of carrying a child, who is not yet up to size, just grabbed with the car belt. Notice that this is a shocking video, but the testimonies of pediatricians, traumatologists and other experts help to understand the seriousness of this practice:
In the video we see a mother riding her nine-year-old son in the car without using any SRI, that is holding it exclusively with the seat belt. Unfortunately, they suffer a frontal collision and the child is transferred very seriously to the hospital. When the doctor asks the mother where and how the child travels, she replies that she did it in the back seat but not in a chair, "Well, I was almost 10 years old".
At that moment is when we realize that 10 years may not be enough to stop using an SRI If the child has not reached the recommended size, because no matter how large the consequences may appear in case of an accident they can be fatal.
This is how the child's body responds in the event of a collision: above, sitting in a SRI appropriate to his weight and height. Down, fastened only with the seat belt. Dr. Cathy Peterson, head of trauma at Children's Hospital of the King's Daugthers, explains it as follows in the video:
"Children who do not reach the recommended size should always travel in an SRI, because if they do so only with the belt, the impact they will suffer in the event of a collision at 50 km / h will be similar to the fall from a third floor" - they explain The experts in the video."Some parents believe that their children are old enough to stop using car seats, but the truth is that they are not. If the seat belt is not properly placed on the chest and hip, in the event of an impact, internal organs can be seriously damaged"
So what kind of SRI should be used?
So, when the child is too big to use a group I chair, but is still small to travel only with the seat belt, we have to resort to the chairs of group II and III, which range from 15 to 36 kilos (approximately, between four and 12 years old).
In these cases, The SRI will help guide the safety belt and raise the child's body so that the upper band of the belt falls on the shoulder and collarbone (without touching the face or neck), and the ventral band is on the hips and thighs (never on the stomach).
All car seats approved under the i-Size regulations for children between 100 and 150 cm, have a backrest. However, certain models of Group II chairs approved under the oldest regulations, the R44, and acquired before the beginning of 2017, allow children who have not yet reached 125 cm in height in backless elevators (popularly known) as lifters).
As of that date, a modification was introduced in this regard, and that is that both the DGT and the rest of road safety experts advise the use of lifts with backrest up to 125 cm high, since they protect the child better in case of lateral collision.
From this height we can already use the elevators without backrest, which we will preferably maintain, and as we said at the beginning, until the child reaches 150 cm.
Photos | iStock
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