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
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