The problems and solutions with respect to child seats which may not be correctly fitted to the car were charted by means of: (1) surveys among importers and manufacturers of child seats and passenger cars; and (2) a field study. In particular, standard rear seat belts, which were made compulsory for passenger cars in 1990, proved to be problematic. The aim of this report is to provide a solution specific for the Netherlands in the short term. Three problem areas were determined which influence whether child seats could be properly fitted to cars or not. These include: (1) Length of short belt sections including full buckles, which are not appropriate for the fixing of child seats; (2) Outer anchoring points on the rear seat which are positioned too far forward; and (3) belt knots which prevent the belt from being pulled tight. The most notable point which became apparent during the survey is that five of the eight importers/manufacturers of child seats were not aware of the interface problems of child seats and passenger cars. A distinction was made between seats still to be purchased and those already in possession, when proposing solutions for these problems. The report also cited specific information activities aimed at a number of target groups.
Abstract