VOLVO CARE
CHILD SAFETY
INDEX
Fifty years of child safety
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
4
The complete range .
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
6
Child seat options .
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
8
Volvo genuine child seat safety
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
10
Inflatable child seat
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
12
Helpful information.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
14
FIFTY YEARS OF CHILD SAFETY
The idea of a rearward-facing car seat, designed specifically
for children, originally came from Sweden in the early 1960s.
It was the brainchild of Professor Bertil Aldman who worked
at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg. It is
fitting that the idea for one of Volvo's most important and
appreciated innovations should come from Volvo's
hometown.
While developing his idea, Professor Aldman took inspiration
from the Gemini space program, in which the USA launched
12 two-man spacecraft into orbit around the earth. The seats
used by the astronauts during take-off and landing were
uniquely moulded to distribute G force evenly across the
whole of the astronauts´ back. The principle behind rearwardfacing child car seats is exactly the same. If the car in which
the child is travelling is involved in a frontal impact collision,
the whole of the child's back takes the strain of the impact –
not just its neck, which is significantly weaker.
Accident Research Team, which was set up in 1970. The
Volvo Traffic Accident Research Team has been investigating
and collecting data on Swedish road crashes involving
relatively new Volvos ever since. The team's findings are
added to a database which, to date, has documented more
than 42,000 crashes, involving over 70,000 people in all. A
unique resource for researchers wanting to establish more
facts about child safety.
50 years later, Volvo remains as focused and committed as
ever to ensuring that all children remain safe and secure while
travelling in cars.
Volvo child safety innovations through the years:
1964 – First rearward-facing child safety seat prototype
tested
1972 – Rearward-facing child safety seat launched
1972 – childproof locks fitted on rear doors
1978 – Child safety booster cushion
The concept was revolutionary, and Professor Aldman finally
saw his vision become reality when his rearward-facing child
seat was officially launched in 1972. Thanks to the efforts of
Professor Aldman, rearward-facing child seats came into
widespread use in Sweden much earlier than the rest of the
world.
1990 – Integrated child safety cushion in centre rear seat
1995 – Integrated child safety cushion outer rear seats
2000 – ISOFIX anchorages with rearward-facing child safety
seat
2002 – New integrated child seat (XC90).
Professor Aldman continued to collaborate with Volvo on
matters of child safety and contributed to the Volvo Traffic
THE COMPLETE RANGE
Volvo's complete range of child safety seats includes, a rearfacing infant seat designed for newborns and children up to 1
year old, or children who weigh up to13kg.
Safety features include:
• High side panels and deep shaped seat to provide maximum
protection in the event of front and side collisions;
• Headrest with seven setting options;
• Soft padded textile cover, which is detachable and
washable;
• Easy to adjust five point belt.
A rearward- and forward-facing convertible child seat designed
for children from 9 months to approx. 6 years old, or children
who weigh between 9 kg and 25 kg.
Safety features include:
• High side panels and deep shaped seat to provide maximum
protection in the event of front and side collisions;
• Two retaining straps with snap-hooks, one on each side of
the child seat, which anchor the child seat securely to the
floor of the Volvo using the eyelet located on the floor;
• Adjustable headrest that guides the shoulder belt to the
correct height;
• Integrated support legs used in all car positions;
• Integrated belt guide.
A child seat with a booster cushion and backrest designed for
children travelling rearward between the ages of 3 and 4 years
old. This child seat is also suitable for children up to 10 years
old, or children who weigh between 15 kg and 36 kg.
Safety features include:
• Headrest with high side panels and protection around the
shoulder area to provide maximum protection in the event of
a front or side collision;
• Headrest with 11 different setting options;
• Two position adjustment along the width for optimal belt
geometry;
• Integrated belt guide;
• Backrest tilt function.
Finally there is a child seat with a booster cushion and
adjustable backrest designed for children travelling rearward
between the ages of 3 and 4 years old. This child seat is also
suitable for children up to 10 years old, or who weigh between
15 kg and 36 kg.
Safety features include:
• Backrest to provide extra comfort and protection in the event
of a collision from the rear;
• Adjustable backrest with five different heights and two
backrest angles for extra comfort and protection.
ACCESSORIES:
Kick guard with pockets – Designed to protect the car's
interior while the child is sitting in the car seat. The kick guard
includes pockets for storage and can be used if the child seat
is facing forwards or backwards. It is also machine washable.
Infant Seat
For children up to 13 kg,
newborns up to approx. 1 year.
Retail: R2,900.00
Part Number: 30756950
Child Seat
Convertible
For children between 9 kg and
25 kg, 9 months to approx.
6 years old.
Retail: R4,924.80
Part Number: 31373880
Booster Seat
For children between 15 kg
and 36 kg, 3 to approx.
10 years of age.
Retail: R2,707.50
Part Number: 30756949
Kick Guard
A practical dirt cover with
different pockets for the
child's toys.
Retail: R250.00
Part Number: 30618187
Isofix Base
Retail: R2,000.00
Part Number: 30758234
VOLVO GENUINE CHILD SAFETY
Emissions and allergy testing
During the design process, Volvo works closely with the
manufacturer to make sure that each product meets Volvo's
strict demands regarding safety and design. A wide range of
experts with their own special competencies are involved in the
development process; meaning that each Volvo child seat is
designed, not only with the child seat in mind, but how the child
seat integrates and functions with the car as a whole.
With levels of pollution on the rise, and more cars on the road
than ever before, reducing in-car emissions and ensuring clean
in-car air has never been more important. Volvo is dedicated to
providing a pure in-car atmosphere and Volvo child seats are
specially designed to help achieve this. All materials used in the
manufacturing of Volvo child seats has been carefully chosen to
reduce the risk of harmful emissions and are thoroughly allergy
tested.
Testing
Every component in a Volvo child seat, such as the neck and
back supports and adjustable headrests are thoroughly – and
repeatedly – tested at Volvo's state-of-the-art test centre. All
testing is carried out under real–life conditions and based on
real–life situations.
When it comes to crash testing, Volvo child seats are crash
tested along with the car. This means that Volvo can monitor
exactly how the child seat reacts in an actual crash situation
and tailor the design accordingly.
All materials used are also tested and certified to meet Volvo's
strict demands regarding fire safety, as well as all fire safety
requirements worldwide.
This dedication to safety, combined with a careful attention to
detail, ensures every Volvo child seat meets Volvo's strict
demands regarding safety, durability and comfort, while also
meeting and surpassing legal safety requirements worldwide.
INFLATABLE CHILD SEAT CONCEPT
For many parents, travelling with children can be extremely
stressful and challenging. This is why any new development that
promises to provide a little extra help is always welcome. But of
course, any new product has to be as reliable as it is helpful.
Volvo's latest child safety concept – the inflatable child seat –
may still be in the development stages, but all signs point to
another groundbreaking innovation in the world of child safety.
The idea behind Volvo's latest child safety concept was to
produce a new inflatable child seat that is as characteristically
safe and reliable as you would expect a Volvo product to be, but
streets ahead when it comes to matters of convenience and
integrated technology.
The challenge was to create a child safety seat that would be
easy for anyone to use at anytime; be easy to carry around and
was compact enough to be easily stored in small spaces. It is
safe to say that Volvo managed to successfully meet every
challenge they were presented with.
Inspired by the Volvo Ocean Race, the designers researched
durable high quality materials commonly used for sailing attire.
They finally decided upon a unique material called drop-stitch
fabric. The advantage of using drop-stitch fabric is that it is very
strong when inflated. It is quite common in the boating industry
and was originally developed by the military in an attempt to
create inflatable aircraft.
The seat contains an innovative, integrated pump system that is
as silent as it is efficient; inflating the seat in less than 40
seconds, as well as helping it to deflate. The total weight is no
more than 5kg, which is half the weight of today's traditional
child seats. The seat is constantly online via Bluetooth, which
enables a wide range of unique features, e.g. remote controlled
inflation.
The Inflatable Child Seat Concept is naturally rear facing and is
as safe and reliable as you would expect any product that
carries the Volvo name to be. But thanks to its extremely low
weight, it also provides a whole new level of convenience and
opportunity. It is very convenient when travelling by taxi, hire car
or bus; situations where before you were at the mercy of other
peoples' ideas of what constitutes acceptable levels of child
safety. It also gives those who take care of your children easy
access to a reliable child seat at all times.
A lot of thought also went into the aesthetics of the seat. By
reducing thickness and adding gentle design curves, the seats
structure took on a more pleasing form, inspired by simple
Scandinavian elegance.
Volvo's design philosophy is built around the motto, 'Designed
Around You', which in reality means that the whole car is
created with excellent design and unbeatable ergonomics as its
focus. This philosophy also applies when it comes to catering
for children: and Volvo does everything to ensure that they enjoy
the perfect combination of comfort, safety and support.
Hopefully it won't be too long before we see the latest Volvo
child safety concept out on the road and doing what it was
designed to do – keeping children in cars safe.
HELPFUL INFO: CHILD SEATS
In a frontal impact collision, the head of a forward-facing car
occupant is thrown forward with considerable force. The
momentum propels it downwards onto the breastbone and
then back. An adult neck can withstand this strain relatively
well, but a small child's neck cannot. Given that frontal impact
collisions are the most common type of crash – and often the
most serious – it is particularly important for very young
children to sit in rearward-facing seats.
Here is a little helpful information regarding rearward-facing
child safety seats:
How long should children go on using rearward-facing
seats? Young children should continue to use rearwardfacing safety seats for as long as possible. A child should
only switch to a forward-facing seat when it has grown out of
its seat, or when its head can reach beyond the top of the
seat. It is recommended that children go on using rearwardfacing seats until they are three years old, but preferably
longer. The older a child is, the stronger its neck will have
grown.
Why is this so important? Because a child's neck is
vulnerable and simply cannot withstand the strain involved if
the head is propelled forward in a frontal impact collision. In a
forward-facing seat, the neck is subjected to substantial
force. In a rearward-facing seat, this force is distributed
across the whole of the child's back and head. The force of
the impact that arises in rear-end collisions is generally not as
strong.
How do you fit a rearward-facing infant seat? Firstly, you
must always follow the instructions carefully. All Volvo
rearward-facing infant seats feature the unique ISOFix
anchorage system, which makes it easier to securely fit the
child seat. The rigid ISOFix attachments confirm when the
seat has been properly installed. A child seat secured using
the car's own safety belt is as safe as one secured using the
ISOFix attachments. Just make sure the safety belt is
securely tightened. Many Volvo cars also feature additional
anchorage points in the front seat floor rails for easy
attachment of extra tethers for large rearward-facing seats. If
you have any problems, contact your local Volvo dealer.
Which is the safest position in a car for a child? In a
Volvo, all passenger seat positions are equally safe, but there
will probably be other factors influencing your choice of
location. Many people prefer to have their child within reach
i.e. in the front passenger seat. However, if there is an
activated passenger airbag in front of that seat, the child seat
must definitely not be installed there. The rear seat is
consequently the only option if the front seat has an activated
passenger airbag. In some cars, the passenger airbag can be
switched off when required. Your car may have a switch for
this purpose, so check your owner's manual for instructions.
So take the time to ensure that your child is strapped in
correctly. In Sweden there is a certification called "Plus test".
What is this? "Plus test" is a voluntary certification. By
choosing a seat with a "Plus test" label you know that it will
protect the neck of your child in a crash, something which is
not evaluated in standard crash testing.
DID YOU KNOW?
.... that Volvo recently released the third edition of
their ground breaking child safety manual `Children
& Cars – A Safety Manual´? Volvo's award-winning
manual has helped parents all over the world make
sure that their children are safe when traveling by
car. The new edition of `Children & Cars – A Safety
Manual´ is available free of charge from your local
Volvo dealer and as a free download. When it
comes to safety, Volvo just can't help giving things
away.
.... that it is fifty years since Volvo first began testing
the prototype for their revolutionary rear-facing
child seat? Who would have thought that a space
mission would be the inspiration for the future of
child safety?
.... that Volvo's latest child safety innovation, the
inflatable child seat concept, is being developed
using the same material once used by the military
when they were trying to develop an inflatable
aeroplane?
For more information on Volvo Car accessories
visit: www.volvocars.com/za