Child car seat
Child car seat
Article 57 of the Federal Road Traffic Act allows the Federal Council to require car occupants to use restraint devices such as seat belts. Our government made use of this delegation of powers a long time ago, by enacting Article 3a of the Ordinance on Road Traffic Regulations, which states that in vehicles fitted with seat belts, the driver and passengers must be fastened down during journeys. This provision specifies that children under the age of 12 and less than 150 cm tall must always be restrained by a suitable child restraint system "authorised under ECE Regulation No. 44", a standard drawn up by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and containing the technical requirements for obtaining approval for a child seat, based in particular on weight criteria. It is as complicated to find as it is to read, but is clearly explained in detail in the latest TCS and BPA publication on the subject, available at www.tcs.ch/fr/tests-conseils/brochures-publications/info-guides/sieges-enfants-voiture.php. It has recently been supplemented by standard no. 129 to improve child safety, which is based among other things on size criteria and does not invalidate the previous standard; for the time being, however, it is not binding on Swiss roads. Basically, babies should be installed in a rear-facing seat because their heads are heavier than adults' in relation to their bodies and cannot withstand sudden movements. In addition, between the ages of around 1 and 4, it is recommended that children be placed in full-body seats, to protect their still-fragile bones and muscles from side impacts, while ensuring that the seatbelt holds them in place correctly. However, a simple booster seat may be legal for children weighing 15 kg or more if it complies with the ECE R44/03 or R44/04 standard and is approved in the corresponding weight category. With these precautions in place, your child can travel in the front seat as well as the rear. However, when the baby is in a rear-facing seat, the airbag must be disconnected.
