沃尔沃汽车发布全新XC90荣誉版儿童安全座椅设计概念

北欧绿色邮报报道(记者陈雪霏)沃尔沃汽车30日在哥德堡发布了基于全新XC90荣誉版车型而重新创想的儿童安全座椅设计新概念。

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在哥德堡沃尔沃汽车概念车和监测中心,首席汽车内饰设计师提萨.约翰森对记者说:“设计之初,为了优化儿童安全座椅产品体验,我们最先想到的是能否为父母们带来更便捷的操作方式,为孩子们带来更安全的、更体贴的保护。因此我们将精力集中在如下三个层面:从人体工程学和舒适度层面,使乘坐和脱离儿童安全座椅的方式更简单;更为安全的后向式座位设置,可使得驾驶者和后排乘客更为容易地直接观察并与儿童交流;让儿童出行更便捷,预留足够的储纳空间来放置诸如纸尿裤、奶瓶和湿巾等物品。”

这种儿童安全座椅设计概念将安全和北欧豪华设计融为一体,充满创意地将儿童固定在副驾驶的儿童安全座椅上之后,父母们可逆时针旋转副驾驶座椅到后向状态,并在座椅的两侧和下方提供了存放儿童物品空间,如存放纸尿裤和毛毯等小件物品,其它大件物品可存放于座椅前部仪表板下方。

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沃尔沃儿童安全座椅设计是其88年来一直坚持安全与创新理念并施的延续。

沃尔沃早在1959年就发明了安全带,这一发明在全世界不知挽救了多少生命。根据沃尔沃的不断实验研究,安全带的合理使用确实是避免死亡和重伤的好办法。

IMG_9179 (2)沃尔沃儿童安全专家罗塔.雅各布松向记者介绍说,解剖发现儿童和大人的骨骼是不一样的。儿童不是大人的缩影。儿童的大脑和全身的比例几乎是一比一,而成人的大脑只有全身重量的百分之六。因此,儿童的脖颈非常脆弱。要保护儿童的脖颈,必须面向后方而坐。

基于沃尔沃独有的儿童安全理念,儿童安全座椅设计概念还为婴幼儿提供安全的后躺休息睡眠模式。后向式儿童安全座椅,能确保婴幼儿在面对正面碰撞冲击时,头部和颈部受到最小的移动伤害,使用后向式安全座椅更能够将伤亡率降低至90%以上。因此,沃尔沃建议儿童乘车时(在3到4周岁以前),应尽量采用后向式座椅。

“有关安全,便捷和关爱的考量重于一切,我们一直将儿童安全研究放在重要地位,并致力于将这一研究提升到更高水平。能够从后座随时关注孩子的安全,能够使用XC90荣誉版的杯座加热功能为孩子的奶瓶加热,均是我们在提升家长们在旅程中照顾子女便利性方面而做出的不懈努力。北欧的豪华设计与幸福生活之间密不可分。诸如此类儿童安全座椅设计概念的可变式座位布局在未来车型的设计规划中变得越发重要,尤其针对未来具有高度自动驾驶功能的车型。”约翰森说。

IMG_9187沃尔沃安全设计高级经理托马斯.弗洛贝向记者介绍了他们的安全测试实验厂。在这里人们看到刚刚收集进来的事故车辆。这里也是撞车试验场。他们在车的上下左右全都放上摄像头,然后仔细研究车的安全性能。他们甚至分析麋鹿撞车的原因和冲撞程度。安全系数是通过无数个事故分析数据得出的结论。

IMG_9171在室外,沃尔沃也有自己的试车模拟地形现场。

Robin Page沃尔沃内饰设计副总裁裴罗彬(Robin Page)在接受记者采访时说,沃尔沃注重安全,舒适豪华相结合,对于儿童安全座椅设计概念目前还是概念阶段,要先发布,然后看各界的反应,之后如果市场反应强烈,再投入生产。假如各界反响很好,那么要生产,估计两年以后就可以。

The all-new XC90 can be equipped with an integrated booster cushion for a child on the centre position in the rear seat.

16. Pregnent woman in correct position

另外,沃尔沃设计师们还特意向记者介绍了各种儿童安全座椅包括9个月的,到三四岁的,甚至是11,12岁的。对于婴儿的座椅,沃尔沃在研究是否可以制作更轻,可移动,可折叠的儿童座椅。

对于10多岁的孩子,他们有辅助座椅,目的是让孩子坐高一点儿,以便安全带可以系得更紧一些。事实证明,安全带的位置不对,伤亡惨重。正确的位置应该是在肩膀上和胯骨下。否则,如果在胳膊下或肚子上,一旦有车祸,很容易受伤。

9. Rearward facing child seat with child因此,安全设计师们一再强调,父母要好好阅读座椅说明,不能随便用软东西塘塞或者是凑合。必须让儿童系好安全带,后向式乘坐,可以大大减少死亡率。

中国吉利控股公司五年前通过并购拥有沃尔沃轿车。这个具有88年历史的品牌也是全世界挽救生命最多的安全带的发明者。

作为沃尔沃88年来最为豪华的扛鼎之作,全新XC90诠释了以人为中心的北欧豪华设计与生活方式的延伸。传承与延续沃尔沃自品牌创立以来坚守的以安全为首要原则的造车理念,XC90荣誉版儿童安全座椅设计概念通过创新和创意完美结合,将安全、人文关爱和豪华感溶于一体,重塑了独特的北欧豪华方便的生活理念,也是沃尔沃汽车向2020年“零死亡”愿景迈出的重要一步。

沃尔沃轿车在2008年提出了宏伟的愿景,就是到2020年,凡是开沃尔沃轿车的人都不会因此车出事而死亡。

沃尔沃轿车五年前被中国吉利收购时,很多人还有疑问,但是现在公司运营良好。据中国驻瑞典商务处资料,吉利目前是中国在瑞典的最大投资项目,已经投入10多个亿进行研发。

约翰森对记者表示,她认为在沃尔沃工作非常好。她从1999年就在沃尔沃工作。到2006年离开了,但到2010年中国收购沃尔沃以后,她又回来了。

根据沃尔沃报告,去年在全球100个国家销售465866台轿车,盈利22亿克朗,比2013年增加3亿多克朗。沃尔沃全球有26000多员工,在比利时,哥德堡和成都都有生产车间。总部设在上海。

Here are some of the most important milestones in Volvo Cars’ child safety history

Here are some of the most important milestones in Volvo Cars’ child safety history

Stockholm, July 1 (Greenpost)–Volvo Cars is the inventer of seat belt in cars which is a tool that saved millions of lives around the world. The following are some more important milestones in Volvo Cars’ child safety history.

1964 First child seat prototype

Inspired by how astronauts travel rearwards, Bertil Aldman, medical doctor and subsequently Professor in Traffic Safety at Chalmers University of Technology, developed the very first child seat prototype. Volvo was closely involved in the development and testing was carried out in a PV544.

 

1967 Reversible front passenger seat with special child backrest

The first child seat to be sold to customers was created by turning the front passenger seat around. Adding a padded backrest with straps made sure that the rearward-facing child was kept in place. The solution was sold as an accessory for the recently introduced Volvo Amazon.

 

 

1972 Volvo’s first rearward-facing child seat

Rearward-facing child seats are designed to support the neck and help spread the force of a frontal impact over a larger area. Frontal impacts are the most frequent and usually the most severe impact situation.

 

1976 The booster cushion – a world first from Volvo

Children from three to four years and up travel facing forwards using the standard safety belt with a beltpositioning booster cushion. Volvo Cars’ policy is that children should use a booster cushion until they are 140 centimetres tall and ten years old. When using a booster cushion, the child runs an approximately 75 per cent lower risk of being injured compared to being unrestrained.

 

1990 World’s first integrated booster cushion

The first integrated booster cushion was an ingenious fold down and out version in the rear centre position in the Volvo 960. Double integrated pop-up booster cushions in the outer rear seats were introduced in the Volvo S40 in 1995.

 

1999 World’s first rearward-facing seat for ISOFIX

The world-first solution for the standardised, car-integrated ISOFIX fittings was actually two rearward-facing seats in one. Both seats – one for infants and one for toddlers up to four years of age – could be fitted in the same ISOFIX frame.

 

2007 World’s first two-stage integrated booster cushion

Two-stage integrated booster cushions were introduced in the Volvo V70 estate. The two-stage version, with two sitting heights, enables a better belt fit regardless of the child’s size. Child adapted safety belt load limiters were also fitted.

 

2014 Inflatable Child Seat Concept

The innovation, which is still in the development stage, is easy to install and can be tucked away in a small bag when not in use. This means that the child seat can be easily transferred between cars and the bag even fits in carry-on luggage when flying or travelling.

For the 2014 financial year, Volvo Car Group recorded an operating profit of 2,252 MSEK (1,919 MSEK in 2013). Revenue over the period amounted to 129,959 MSEK (122,245 MSEK). For the full year 2014, global sales reached a record 465,866 cars, an increase of 8.9 per cent versus 2013. The record sales and operating profit cleared the way for Volvo Car Group to continue investing in its global transformation plan.

Volvo has been in operation since 1927. Today, Volvo Cars is one of the most well-known and respected car brands in the world with sales of 465,866 in 2014 in about 100 countries. Volvo Cars has been under the ownership of the Zhejiang Geely Holding (Geely Holding) of China since 2010. It formed part of the Swedish Volvo Group until 1999, when the company was bought by Ford Motor Company of the US. In 2010, Volvo Cars was acquired by Geely Holding.

 

As of December 2014, Volvo Cars had over 26,000 employees worldwide. Volvo Cars’ head office, product development, marketing, and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars’ head office for China is located in Shanghai. The company’s main car production plants are located in Gothenburg (Sweden), Ghent (Belgium), and Chengdu (China), while engines are manufactured in Skövde (Sweden) and Zhangjiakou (China) and body components in Olofström (Sweden).

 

 

 

Volvo XC90 Excellence offers customers distinct experience

Volvo XC90 Excellence offers customers distinct experience

Stockholm, July 1, (Greenpost)–Volvo Cars has unveiled the most luxurious vehicle at the Shanghai International Automobile Show – an elegant and refined four-seat version of its recently launched XC90.

The XC90 Excellence has been crafted by Volvo’s designers and engineers to offer customers a distinct and individual automotive experience that incorporates the latest Scandinavian innovations in design, refinement, comfort and style.

The XC90 Excellence is based on Volvo’s all new XC90 sports utility vehicle, but the similarity ends there. The XC90 Excellence has just four seats compared to the original’s seven, creating an enormous amount of additional space for rear seat passengers that helps to deliver an exceptional customer experience.

This space is utilised to offer a First Class automotive experience that begins with broad, spacious individual reclining rear seats complete with massage, ventilation and increased leg room, as well as a retractable control touchscreen, folding tables, a refrigerator with bottle and glass holders, a heating/cooling cup holder and handmade crystal glasses from leading Swedish glass design company, Orrefors.

“This is our new flagship car,” said Thomas Ingenlath, Senior Vice President, Design. “We have created the ultimate luxury experience of Scandinavian design. Volvo has never launched a car like this before. This is the car that demonstrates what the name Volvo now means.”

The XC90 Excellence offers its passengers footrests, ambient lighting, illuminated storage and unique leather detailing in blond or charcoal, a luggage compartment dividing screen, additional sound insulation in the cabin and Pirelli Noise Cancelling System tyres (PNCS).

XC90 Excellence passengers will also enjoy a specially-augmented Bowers & Wilkins audio system that adds an extra speaker to its 19 speaker system, resulting in unrivalled high fidelity sound reproduction and surround effect in the rear seats.

“What we have designed is amongst the best rear seat experiences available in a luxury car,” said Mr Ingenlath. “The result is a superlative environment for relaxed comfort or doing business.”

Reinforcing the Swedish love of fresh air, the XC90 Excellence also comes with an integrated ionic air cleaner in the CleanZone climate system. The ionic air cleaner works by positively charging electrons in airborne particles (dust or smoke for example) so they are removed from suspension in the cabin environment.

The XC90 Excellence also offers a leather instrument panel with contrasting thread, while the headliner of the cabin is colour coordinated pure Nubuck textile. Exterior styling differentiators including an Excellence rank mark, chrome B- and C-pillar cappings and lower door mouldings.

Volvo’s all new XC90, launched in August 2014, is proving to be extremely popular with customers seeking a luxury SUV. Over 24,000 have been ordered before it has even reached Volvo showrooms. This accounts for approximately half of Volvo’s expected volume for the car in 2015.

The XC90 Excellence incorporates all the features that underpin the XC90’s ongoing success, such as world leading safety features, new powertrain technologies and an unrivalled combination of power and fuel efficiency.

The XC90 Excellence will be available globally later this year and via digital commerce in selected markets.

For the 2014 financial year, Volvo Car Group recorded an operating profit of 2,252 MSEK (1,919 MSEK in 2013). Revenue over the period amounted to 129,959 MSEK (122,245 MSEK). For the full year 2014, global sales reached a record 465,866 cars, an increase of 8.9 per cent versus 2013. The record sales and operating profit cleared the way for Volvo Car Group to continue investing in its global transformation plan.

Volvo has been in operation since 1927. Today, Volvo Cars is one of the most well-known and respected car brands in the world with sales of 465,866 in 2014 in about 100 countries. Volvo Cars has been under the ownership of the Zhejiang Geely Holding (Geely Holding) of China since 2010. It formed part of the Swedish Volvo Group until 1999, when the company was bought by Ford Motor Company of the US. In 2010, Volvo Cars was acquired by Geely Holding.

As of December 2014, Volvo Cars had over 26,000 employees worldwide. Volvo Cars’ head office, product development, marketing, and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars’ head office for China is located in Shanghai. The company’s main car production plants are located in Gothenburg (Sweden), Ghent (Belgium), and Chengdu (China), while engines are manufactured in Skövde (Sweden) and Zhangjiakou (China) and body components in Olofström (Sweden).

 

 

Safety for the pregnant driver and her unborn child

Safety for the pregnant driver and her unborn child

Gothenburg, June 30(Greenpost) –If a pregnant woman uses her safety belt correctly, the foetal injury risk is reduced significantly. This knowledge stems from Volvo Cars’ research on car safety for unborn babies and their mothers. Volvo Cars has developed a virtual crash test dummy to simulate frontal impacts during pregnancy.

Car safety for unborn children is an area that is not well documented, since foetal injury and death often do not show in statistics. For the baby to remain unharmed in a car crash it is important with safety measures for the pregnant woman. The first thing to do is to always wear a safety belt, said Lotta Jacobsson, Volvo Cars’ child safety specialist while presenting the information to a group of journalists from China, Sweden, Germany and other countries.

Virtual pregnant crash test dummy

Volvo Cars contributes to an increased awareness of safety for pregnant drivers and knowledge of how to protect their unborn babies. One innovation in this field is a virtual pregnant crash test dummy. The model can be used to simulate how a pregnant woman moves in a crash and how the foetus moves inside her. Her proportions correspond to those of an average sized woman in the final stage of pregnancy, approximately week 36.

The virtual crash test dummy is used to simulate impact tests in frontal collisions.

“The computer model makes it possible to study in detail how the occupant moves and how the safety belt and airbag affect the woman and the foetus, including surrounding structures, “says Lotta Jakobsson, Child Safety Specialist at Volvo Cars.

This means that the engineers can simulate the impact on mother and unborn baby in collisions at different speeds, and use the model to test for example safety belt designs under development.

Pregnant women should always wear a safety belt

It is always better to wear a safety belt than not to, and pregnant women like everyone else should make sure to always buckle up correctly. Do like this:

–   Remove bulky clothes so that the safety belt can be placed as close to the body as possible.

–    Pull the lap belt over the thighs, lying flat under the belly.

–    Make sure the torso belt is positioned between the breasts.

–    Pull tight.

The positioning of the safety belt is important so that the occupant is restrained over the body’s stronger areas – like the upper torso and pelvis – thus protecting the weaker parts of the body, such as the soft abdomen containing the fragile foetus. Studies on the virtual pregnant crash test dummy show that the driver airbag offers protection for both the mother and the foetus.

Common injuries for unborn babies and their mothers

Injuries unique to pregnant occupants involved in crashes include placental abruption, uterine rupture or laceration and direct foetal injury. The most common type of injury is a separated placenta. The placenta then becomes partially or completely detached, meaning that the baby can not get enough oxygen and nutrients, which can be fatal for the baby.

“Our research shows that the best protection for pregnant women and their unborn babies is for the mother to wear her three-point safety belt, and to wear it properly. This reduces the foetal injury risk significantly”, says Lotta Jakobsson.

How to fasten the safety belt when you are pregnant

  • First adjust the seat so you can reach the pedals comfortably with as much distance between your belly and the steering wheel as possible.
  • Pull the lap belt over your thighs, buckle it in and pull tight. Make sure the lap belt does not run across the belly, but lies as flat as possible under the curve.
  • Position the torso belt across your chest, between the breasts to the side of the belly and pull tight.
  • Never tuck the shoulder belt under your arm or behind your back – that can hurt both you and the baby.

The virtual pregnant crash test dummy

–    The finite element model known as the virtual pregnant crash test dummy was developed by Volvo Cars, the first of its kind.

–    The model contains layer upon layer with detailed information about the uterus, placenta, amniotic fluid and foetus in approximately the 36th week of pregnancy.

–    The dummy can be positioned in any car model and simulate collisions at different speeds.

–    This has brought Volvo Cars to the important conclusion that pregnant women must always wear the safety belt and make sure to wear it correctly.

–    Volvo Cars has also concluded that pregnant women are better protected in frontal impacts with an airbag in the steering wheel than without.

For the 2014 financial year, Volvo Car Group recorded an operating profit of 2,252 MSEK (1,919 MSEK in 2013). Revenue over the period amounted to 129,959 MSEK (122,245 MSEK). For the full year 2014, global sales reached a record 465,866 cars, an increase of 8.9 per cent versus 2013. The record sales and operating profit cleared the way for Volvo Car Group to continue investing in its global transformation plan.

Volvo has been in operation since 1927. Today, Volvo Cars is one of the most well-known and respected car brands in the world with sales of 465,866 in 2014 in about 100 countries. Volvo Cars has been under the ownership of the Zhejiang Geely Holding (Geely Holding) of China since 2010. It formed part of the Swedish Volvo Group until 1999, when the company was bought by Ford Motor Company of the US. In 2010, Volvo Cars was acquired by Geely Holding.

As of December 2014, Volvo Cars had over 26,000 employees worldwide. Volvo Cars’ head office, product development, marketing, and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars’ head office for China is located in Shanghai. The company’s main car production plants are located in Gothenburg (Sweden), Ghent (Belgium), and Chengdu (China), while engines are manufactured in Skövde (Sweden) and Zhangjiakou (China) and body components in Olofström (Sweden).

 

 

It’s safer for children to travel rearward: Volvo Cars

Children should travel rearward facing until they are three-four years

Gothenburg, June 30(Greenpost)–Small children should travel in rearward facing child restraints for as long as possible, at least until they are three to four years old, recommended Volvo Cars expert.

“Older children should use a booster cushion until they are 140 centimetres tall and at least ten years old. This is Volvo Cars’ firm recommendation. The knowledge is based on real life accidents, together with advanced research at Volvo Cars’ state-of-the-art crash laboratorym,” said Lotta Jacobsson, Volvo Cars’ child safety specialist.

Over 50 years of child safety development

Since the early days Volvo Cars has introduced numerous world firsts, such as the three-point safety belt in 1959. This life-saving safety belt is now integrated in all car models in the world.

Volvo Cars started researching child safety in the early 1960’s. This was a time when space journeys were hot news. On the black and white TV screen you could see the astronauts lying on their backs to even out the forces during take-off and landing. Using the entire back to spread the forces was incorporated in the first child restraint prototype, which was tested in 1964. Since then, Volvo Cars has been setting the standard in child safety.

“Our first rearward facing child restraint was launched back in 1972, says Lotta Jakobsson, Child Safety Specialist at Volvo Cars Safety Centre. Volvo Cars has also been a driving force in international co-operations such as the making of the ISOFIX standard. ISOFIX is a standardised anchoring system that makes it easier to fit a child restraint correctly in any car equipped with the system.

Based on accident research

In 1970 the Volvo Traffic Accident Research Team was established to study car crashes in Sweden involving newer Volvo models. Since then the team has studied approximately 2,500 traffic accidents down to the smallest detail, and the knowledge they gain is used in developing new safety technologies. Information from more than 43,000 accidents is stored in a statistical database. For example, SIPS (Side-Impact Protection System) and WHIPS (Whiplash Protection System) are direct results of this accident research.

” Our engineers identify interesting areas, develop solutions and incorporate them in the oncoming Volvo model”, says Lotta Jakobsson. When that model is out on the streets, the research of real life car crashes continues to help decide which areas to focus on in next generation. It is a continuous process.

The statistical database at Volvo Cars includes more than 4,500 children. The accidents have been studied carefully and reveal the following:

  • A child in a rearward facing child seat is approximately 90% less likely to be injured in an accident compared to an unrestrained child.
  • Using a booster cushion the child runs an approximately 75% lower risk of being injured compared to being unrestrained.

Advanced safety centre

Volvo Cars Safety Centre is the world’s most advanced crash laboratory, where real life collisions can be reconstructed and studied. For example crash tests can be run with two moving cars in different angles, creating different forms of impact. Volvo Cars uses this research together with accident data from real life to enhance road safety for various road users: the driver, the passengers and people outside the car – pedestrians as well as people in other vehicles.

– All children must always be restrained properly. They should travel facing the rear until at least the age of three-four and use restraints for older children up to 10-12 years of age, says Lotta Jakobsson.

Volvo Car Group in 2014

For the 2014 financial year, Volvo Car Group recorded an operating profit of 2,252 MSEK (1,919 MSEK in 2013). Revenue over the period amounted to 129,959 MSEK (122,245 MSEK). For the full year 2014, global sales reached a record 465,866 cars, an increase of 8.9 per cent versus 2013. The record sales and operating profit cleared the way for Volvo Car Group to continue investing in its global transformation plan.

Volvo has been in operation since 1927. Today, Volvo Cars is one of the most well-known and respected car brands in the world with sales of 465,866 in 2014 in about 100 countries. Volvo Cars has been under the ownership of the Zhejiang Geely Holding (Geely Holding) of China since 2010. It formed part of the Swedish Volvo Group until 1999, when the company was bought by Ford Motor Company of the US. In 2010, Volvo Cars was acquired by Geely Holding.

As of December 2014, Volvo Cars had over 26,000 employees worldwide. Volvo Cars’ head office, product development, marketing, and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Volvo Cars’ head office for China is located in Shanghai. The company’s main car production plants are located in Gothenburg (Sweden), Ghent (Belgium), and Chengdu (China), while engines are manufactured in Skövde (Sweden) and Zhangjiakou (China) and body components in Olofström (Sweden).

 

 

 

 

Volvo Cars: children are not small versions of adults

Children are not small versions of adults and need special restraints

Gothenburg, June 30(Greenpost)– Lotta Jacobsson, child  safety specialist in Volvo Cars stressed that children are not small version of adults and needs special restraints.

“The differences in anatomy between children and adults are considered in Volvo Cars’ child safety development – of inbuilt features as well as accessories. Children are not small versions of adults, which is why children need special restraints when travelling in cars,” said Jacobsson in a presentation in Gothenburg’s Volvo Design center.

She said a child’s neck is under development and not as strong as an adult’s neck. Also the head is proportionally bigger than that of an adult. Children therefore need special restraints, facing the rear for as long as possible until at least three-four years of age. When travelling facing the rear the crash forces are spread over the back and head, which reduces the load on the neck in frontal impacts.

” A child’s head weighs a lot more in proportion to the body, and the neck is weak. That is why we strongly believe that children should travel in rearward facing child restraints until they are three-four years old”, says Lotta Jakobsson, Child Safety Specialist at Volvo Cars.

 Rearward facing child restraints are designed to support the neck and help spread the forces over a larger area in frontal impacts. Frontal impacts are the most frequent and usually the most severe impact situation.
– In a frontal impact a rearward facing child’s whole body is supported, which minimises relative movements between the head and torso, says Lotta Jakobsson.

Since more than 35 years, Volvo Cars is doing extensive research based on real life accidents. These studies show beyond doubt that the safest way for small children to travel in cars is facing the rear.

 Physical evidence why children should travel facing the rear

The head of a newborn baby makes up half the total body weight, where an adult’s head weighs only about six percent of the total. This oversized head – in combination with not fully developed neck vertebrae, muscles and ligaments – makes the baby’s neck a weak point.

Forward facing in a frontal impact, the body is restrained by the safety belt while the head moves forward and puts load on the neck. Depending on crash severity and size of the child, this load can be injurious.

– In one severe frontal impact in central Europe two girls were sitting forward facing in the rear seat. The five-year-old sustained a broken leg and spent two weeks in hospital. Her little sister, just ten months old, died from neck injuries. This is a clear example that it is much too early for a ten month old child to travel forward facing, says Lotta Jakobsson.

When the child has outgrown its rearward facing seat

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. Then 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. The booster cushion guides the lap belt across the pelvis, as low as possible towards the thighs and not over the soft belly. The torso belt runs diagonally across the chest. Pull the safety belt tight, as close to the body as possible. It does not affect the safety if the torso belt rests on the child’s neck, but if the safety belt is tucked under the arm or behind the back, the child is not as protected in an accident.

 Volvo Cars’ policy is that children should use a booster cushion until they are 140 centimetres tall and ten years old. Booster cushions come in different models and sizes, with or without a backrest. Some cars can be equipped with an integrated booster cushion.

– An integrated booster cushion is always available and can not be accidentally left behind, says Lotta Jakobsson. It makes it easier to position the safety belt correctly and blends in with the car interior, which can make older children more interested in using a booster. It is important to fit the child restraint according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Most importantly, children must never be placed in the passenger seat if the airbag is active.

 Myths and truths about travelling facing the rear

There are a number of myths that can stop parents from choosing the safer rearward facing child restraint for their children. Lotta Jakobsson at Volvo Cars Safety Centre responds to a few of them:

 Myth: Children do not want to travel rearwards.

Truth: Small children are usually as happy facing any direction in the car.

Advice: If the child restraint is fitted in the back seat, place a mirror so that the child can see you. This will help the child feel safe and you can check on it easily with a glance in the interior mirror.

 Myth: The child restraint will not fit.

Truth: All child restraints are not suitable for all cars.

Advice: Read up on child restraints to see which one would meet your needs. Also get a staff member to teach you how to fit it properly before purchase.

 Myth: There are no rearward facing child restraints available.

Truth: It can still be difficult to find rearward facing child restraints on some markets. In the Nordic countries they are readily available, and more countries join in the recommendation that small children should travel facing the rear.

Advice: Check with your national road safety organisation. They should be able to give you further information or refer you to someone who can.

How children of different ages should travel in cars

 A newborn baby should use an infant seat. Do not let it sit upright for too long, take frequent breaks and pick up the baby for a while or let it rest lying flat while the car is parked.

 An infant or toddler should be fastened in a rearward facing infant seat or a larger rearward facing child restraint until the child has outgrown the larger seat and is three-four years old. The neck is weak and needs all the support it can get in the event of an accident. It does not matter if the child has to bend its legs or touches the back rest with its feet. Take breaks often to let the child stretch and play.

 An older child who has outgrown the rearward facing seat but is shorter than 140 centimetres and has not reached the age of ten, should use a booster cushion. The booster gives the child an increased height and directs the safety belt over the stronger parts of the body during a crash. The lap belt should be placed tightly across the pelvis, as low as possible towards the thighs and not over the soft tissue of the abdomen. The torso belt should run across the chest and also be pulled tight. It does not matter if the belt touches the neck. Never place the torso belt under the arm or behind the back.

Do’s & Don’ts for children in cars – six simple rules that can save lives

Do

  • Always make sure the child is properly restrained – during short trips as well.
  • Choose a child restraint that is suitable for your child and car model.
  • Remove bulky clothes so that the safety belt is tight and the child does not get too hot.

Don’t

  • Never drive with an unrestrained child in the car.
  • Never place a child in the passenger seat with the airbag active.
  • Never fasten a child shorter than 140 centimetres with just the standard safety belt. It must be used in combination with a booster cushion and only by children who have outgrown their child seats.

Children in car crashes

– A heavy head and weak neck structure make small children extremely vulnerable in frontal impacts when facing forward.

– Head, abdomen, extremities, chest and spine injuries are the most common to children.

– Prevention is better than treatment. Use a child restraint that is recommended for your child’s age and use it properly.

– A rearward facing child seat provides firm support behind the child’s head and back.

– Older children should use a booster cushion to allow proper positioning of the safety belt.

Important

  • Never fit a child restraint in the passenger seat with an active airbag.
  • 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.