EU Regulations
Current European regulations require the use of safety belts and
child restraint systems in all vehicles (as per Directive
2003/20/EC). Within the EU, a child restraint is required for a
child up to a height of 1.35m or 1.5m, depending upon the
particular state.
ECE Compliance Label
All child seats must have a valid ECE R44/04 certification label to
indicate they comply with the applicable standard safety.
Note: Since
its introduction in 1982 the requirements of the ECE R44
standard have been continually updated and upgraded.
Accordingly, any child car seat with a date of manufacture before
1995, can no longer be used in the EU.
Explanation of the ECE-label
1. Child seat name
2. ECE approval standard
3. Approval
category for the child seat
4. Approved weight range
5.
Approval number
6.
Indicates EU approval
7. Country code in which EU approval was
obtained
Child Safety Standard - ECE Standard
Excerpts from the ECE Standard
There are five groups of child restraint systems which are
classified by the child weight:
| ECE R-44 Group |
Weight |
Age (Approx.) |
| Group 0 |
under 10 kg |
(up to approx. 9 months) |
| Group 0+ |
under 13 kg |
(up to approx. 15 months) |
| Group I |
9-18 kg |
(approx. 8 months - 3 1/2 years) |
| Group II |
15-25 kg |
(approx. 3 - 7 years) |
| Group III |
22 - 36 kg |
(approx. 6 - 12 years) |
Cited below are some of the
testing and performance criteria to obtain approval under the
current ECE Standard:
| Operational & Performance Criteria |
|
| a) Buckle Opening Forces |
without load 4 - 8 kp (40 - 80 N) |
|
under load max. 8 kp (80 N) |
| b) Belt Length Adjuster |
adjustment force max. 5 kp (50 N) |
| c) Adjustment from upright into reclinedc position |
without belt length adjustment |
| No metal on body / no sharp edges |
- |
| Sled Test Criteria |
|
| a) Test Speed |
Frontal Impact: 50 km/h
Rear Impact: 30 km/h |
b) Maximum permissible head forward movement
horizontal (forward facing) |
Groups I, II, III: 550 mm
Group I ISOFIX universal
with TopTether: 500 mm |
| horizontal (reward facing) |
Group 0: 600 mm
Groups 0+ and I: 650 mm |
| vehicle |
all Groups: 800 mm (850mm for P10) |
| c) Maximum chest deceleration |
resulting deceleration (Res): 55 g
vertical
(direction towards the head): 30 g |
| d) Abdominal load |
no clay print |
| e) Motion sequence |
evaluation of film |
APPROVAL CATEGORIES
There are 3 types of car seat approvals categories: universal,
semi-universal and vehicle specific. This allows you to know if a
seat fits your car and is approved to the safety standards for it.
Universal approval isn’t vehicle specific, and the seat is approved
for installation in all cars. You should however check that the
seat fits really well in your vehicle.
Universal
Approved for use in all vehicles that meet ECE R14 and R16
regulations. ISOFIX child seats in this approval category must be
installed utilizing top tether.
Semi-Universal
Semi-universal approval requires the use of an additional safety or
anti-rotation device (either top tether or a foot prop) which may
affect compatibility with certain vehicles. Check if your
vehicle appears on the vehicle list for that particular child seat.
Vehicle Specific
Child seat approval is vehicle-specific dynamic crash test and is
only for use with certain, specified vehicles. That vehicle(s) must
appear on the child seat manufacturer’s list for approval as it may
include special features or designs that can only be installed in a
specific vehicle or vehicle type.