The design and manufacture of child restraints (CRS) is dependent upon the child restraint standard. A comparison of the United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 213 and the ECE R44.03 highlights the many gross similarities and the detailed differences, which distinguish the standards. As both standards now use the same dummy, comparison testing is possible. It demonstrates that the acceleration loads in both dynamic tests are similar while the dummy kinematics displayed by the CRS are dramatically different. The detailed differences in the standard have however lead to different designs in the two jurisdictions, so that modern CRS from one market cannot be exported to the other without difficulty. Looking forward to the upcoming standards for universal CRS anchorages; if one feels that competition is desirable for the improvement of this product category, closer harmonization of the standards will be required. (A)
Samenvatting