i-Size is a new standard for increased safety. It will lead to improved protection at higher forces for side and front impacts and a much better protection of the child’s head and neck areas. Rearward facing travel will be mandatory up to 15 months. i-Size also promotes ISOFIX. i-Size legislation will be effective in addition to the current legislation ECE R44.
i-Size consists of:
– Improved protection at higher forces for side & front impact and better protection of head and neck
– Rearward faced travelling mandatory up to 15 months
– i-Size promotes ISOFIX
– i-Size car seats will fit all i-Size cars and almost all cars with ISOFIX
– Length classification for easier choosing the right car seat
i-Size is developed to further increase the safety level for children transported in cars in Europe.
Often parents switch too soon from a Gr 0+ to a larger seat. This premature switch from rearward- to forward facing, places the child in greater danger of head and neck injury because the baby’s neck is not yet developed enough to support the relatively heavy head. Also, the current EU legislation (ECE R44) does not provide performance standards for side-impact collisions.
The new standard will help create greater usage of the safer ISOFIX systems. It requires to travel at least up to 15 months rearward-facing and includes a minimum performance requirement for side-impact collisions.
1. To minimize incorrect, dangerous installation i-Size promotes ISOFIX installation, which has less chances of being installed incorrectly.
2. To protect against head/neck injuries up to at least 15 months
Only when the child’s neck is strong enough to withstand the impulsive force of an average forward collision, he/she should be travelling forward facing.
3. To protect against side-impact collisions
Currently there are no performance criteria that must be fulfilled for side impact collisions in the ECE R44 legislation.
4. To prevent up-sizing too early
Many parents move their baby to a bigger forward facing seat too early.
Yes. i-Size is an evolution of the current ISOFIX car seats, and is often referred to as super ISOFIX. i-Size car seats have always been intended to be backwards compatible with ISOFIX cars. The legislation is also officially adopted in order to allow this installation.
Yes. i-Size will run in parallel with the current safety regulation ECE R44-04 in the coming years. Car seats complying with ECE R44-04 can continued to be sold and used safely.
We support the new i-Size legislation because we believe that i-Size approved child car seats are even safer than ECE R44-04 approved child car seats. Because of this new legislation, the safety level for children transported in cars will further increase.
i-Size is introduced as a new legislation next to the current ECE R44 legislation. This means that, for now, new car seats can still be homologated as ECE R44 and consumers can remain using the ECE R44 products.
Both i-Size and ECE R44 are laws. Consumers can choose to either buy an i-Size car seat (safest) or an ECE R44 car seat (safe).
i-Devices are generally seen to be intelligent, convenient and well thought-out. These are the characteristics of this new safety standard. The word “Size” appears in the name because the length primarily determines how to choose a child restraint system, more so than age or weight.
Both i-Size and ECE R44 are laws. Consumers can choose to either buy an i-Size car seat (safest) or an ECE R44 car seat (safe).
The neck of a child matures with age, and not when it reaches a certain stature or mass. Up until 15 months, the baby’s neck is not yet developed enough to withstand the impulsive force of an average frontal collision because of its relatively heavy head. The excessive pressure on the neck of the baby might lead to serious neck injury. When travelling rearward facing, the forces of a frontal collision are better spread over a greater area of the body of the baby, which leads to less pressure on the head and neck.
Yes, i-Size cars are developed at the same time as i-Size car seats. Since the 9th of July, automotive industry is able to homologate their cars according to the i-Size standard. i-Size though is not mandatory for car manufacturers, while ISOFIX is.
One of the advantages of the i-Size legislation is that the automotive industry is also involved. The result is that the fit between car seats and cars is further improved: all i-Size car seats will fit all i-Size cars. i-Size car seats can also be used in cars with ISOFIX positions, and you can consult the fit in a compatibility list.
Side-airbags have no negative effect on child restraint systems, also not in rearward facing mode. In some but not all cases of a side-impact collision, the side-airbag will provide additional safety for the child. This effect of side-airbags does not differ whether the child is travelling forward or rearward facing.
Frontal airbags do have a negative impact on the safety of rearward facing transported children. The airbags have to be switched off always when travelling rearward facing on the passenger seat.
Up until 15 months, the baby’s neck is not yet developed enough to withstand the impulsive force of an average frontal collision because of its relatively heavy head. As of 15 months, the neck is more developed and withstands the forces in forward collision better. The biggest leap in safety enhancement can be achieved by prolonging rearward facing travelling until 15 months (compared to 9 months in many cases).
It is important to note that Fairgo recommends to use car seats as long as possible rearward facing. New car seats that are currently being developed by Fairgo therefore allow for rearward facing travelling up until 4 years.
ISOFIX is an international standardized fitting system, which provides a safe, easy and quick way to install a child car seat without the need of car seat belts. The name ISOFIX stands for ISO (International Standardization Organization) plus FIX (Fixation). ISOFIX car seats make use of two standard attachment points at the base of the seat in the car, plus an anti-rotation device to prevent forward pitching: this can be either a support leg or top tether.
From 2006, most new cars are equipped with ISOFIX and a top tether anchorage point. ISOFIX is also fitted in a large number of car brands built prior to 2006.