Why it is important and wise to use car seats with all special homologations?
Only the seat that meets the requirements of the ECE R44 or R129 standard provides an adequate level of safety. This applies both to standard commercially available seats as well as the seats designed for children with special needs. SIMON car seat is a restraint device for special needs children with a hight of 100 to 150 cm. it is designed for use in i-Size category sitting position. The product has been approved for use in accordance with ECE R129/03. The i-Size special needs category seat provides additional support for children having difficulties maintaining the correct position standard seats. Whole carefully designed system of lateral, side and knee supports with an aid of special headrest and five-point stabilizing belts makes it easier to travel for all interested parties. If you add a wide range of regulation possibilities including seat tilt adjustment or seat rotation you can see why the seat is special. All additional elements used to stabilize the child have been tested and meet the demanding requirements of the ECE R129/03 standard. All additional equipment of the seat has been tested and successfully passed all crash tests and its special futures are evidenced by the additional “S” marking on the approval plate. “S” stands for “special needs”.
What information can you find on the orange approval plate?
The orange approval plate on the car seat indicates that the product has been tested and approved and it guarantees an adequate level of protection for the child transported in it. The plate must display the homologation number, indicate the Regulation under which the product was approved and the letter designation of the country in which the approval was obtained. For example, the E8 symbol shows that the homologation procedure has been carried out in Czech Republic. The main information that must appear on the orange label is the hight range of the children for which the seat is intended, for example 100 – 150 cm. Additional information can be an S marking which shows that the seat is equipped with additional equipment to serve children with disabilities such as side supports, thigh deferral abductor, additional stabilizing harness, headrest, footrest, table etc. which has been tested together with the seat and all are completely safe to use.
What makes a special seat comfortable for children with disabilities?
Making life as comfortable as possible for children with disabilities is crucial both for their body and mind. Body is obvious because all our actions should be aimed at relieving the child’s physical suffering and facilitating the rehabilitation process. We can’t achieve this if the mind isn’t at ease. Whole system of lateral support with five-point stabilizing belts together with headrest and feet support provides a possibility of adjusting a perfect position. Rotating base with built in tilt system makes daily use even easier. Simon seat provides a possibility to connect a phone and play relaxing music thanks to speakers mounted into the headrest.
What kind of extra rehab gear can be mounted into your seat?
It is worth mentioning that our seat can be used for protection of a perfectly healthy kids too. It what we add to the seat makes it special. The most crucial thing is to keep the child safe and stabile. To achieve this we introduced whole complex system of lateral supports which are fully adjustable and together with head and footrests it allows to provide our little travellers with comfortable and ideal positioning during your .journeys. if you add an in base tilt system, rotating base, five-point stabilizing belts and a special table you are presented with a vast array of possibilities of making your drive nice and easy. All additional equipment has been tested and approved.
Why is it important to secure a proper body position of a child?
Sitting and standing with proper alignment improves blood flow, helps keep your nerves and blood vessels healthy, and supports your muscles, ligaments, and tendons. It prevents chronic pains, bruising and swelling and allows patients to feel comfortable. Good positioning can be essential in the rehabilitation process. If we consider car seats we have to remember that the seat provides proper protection only when mounted correctly and when the child is properly positioned in order to allow belts to run specifically as it is foreseen both by car and seat manufacturers. Positioning is absolutely essential especially for kids with special needs.
What makes your seat suitable for the needs of a child with different types of disabilities?
Comfort and easy use of the seat are besides all safety characteristics the most crucial features of the well built car seat. There is a wide range of disabilities and all the little travellers are different. We are doing our best to make our product as user friendly as possible. Whole construction of the device is highly adjustable starting with five point stabilizing belts, lateral, side and knee supports which can be independently moved. You can also change seat tilt using just one button same as feet platforms which can be adjusted in all dimensions. The seat can be simply rotated to allow you to get your child in or out of the car swiftly and with no harm. The seat also provides a possibility of having the speakers built into the headrest allowing the child to be calmed by music or vibrations.
The tilt In base system is surly comfortable but is it safe?
Absolutely yes. The system is by all means safe. Our seat has been crash tested according to ECE R129/03 standard including the Tilt in base system and has passed both frontal and side impact tests.
What is i-Size?
i-Size was created to raise the standard for maximum safety for children traveling in a car. The i-Size standard classifies car seats according to a child's height rather than weight, and makes it mandatory for children under 15 months to use rear-facing seats. I-Size classifies car seats into only two groups: universal and special while both having an ISOFIX system. I-Size also introduced a requirement for additional testing of the performance of the car seat during side impact tests, described in the ECE R129 regulation. Importantly, the testing of I-Size seats uses modern Q-series dummies, which allow to obtain more reliable results. Such requirements are designed to minimize injuries to the head and neck, which are most vulnerable to injury in a crash, improve safety in side impacts, and systematize how the seat is installed.
Why is i-Size developed?
i-Size was developed to further increase the safety level of children when travelling in a car. Technical development allows to introduce new ways of testing new products and making them better. It allows parents to choose the best possible seat. The division of car seats according to the i-Size specification is based on a division according to the height rather than the weight of the child, which guarantees a better fit for both the child and the car. It is also made possible by closer cooperation between car seat and car manufacturers.
Is i-Size a new legislation and does it replace the current ECE R44 and R129 provisions?
i-Size is a European car seat safety standard that was launched in 2013. The R129/i-Size car seat standard is the most up-to-date safety standard for car seats. The older ECE R44 standard is based on the weight of your child. By contrast, i-Size is height-based. I-Size is much better tested, with better dummies and is proven to provide adequate protection not only from front or back but also from side impact effects. The ECE R44 standard is being gradually phased out, but seats approved by this standard can still be used safely.
What is ISOFIX?
It is an international standard for installing car seats in the vehicle. It consists of two holders located between the seat and the seatback and are attached directly to the car structure. Compered to standard seat belts it provides a more rigid attachment, which translates to higher safety.
A permanent connection between car seat and a car structure causes less force that will impact your child in case of sudden braking or collision. To prevent possible, uncontrollable rotation of the seat the system uses a top tether to anchor the seat into car’s body, or more commonly, a stabilizing leg. Insert the seat inside the car, make sure that you hear a “click” and that the clasp is “green” and you are gut to go. Just remember that any safety device can help you protect your child but it will not substitute common sense or caution while driving.
How do we test our products?
Our products has been tested in accordance to UN R129 which is the European car seat safety standard developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in 2013. It introduces not only the front but also side impact testing procedure which leads to better head protection of a child. Also a new generation dummies are introduced which more closely represent the actual effects of a crash on the body of real children. Any part of body of a child can not touch the given box and it proves that during the crash our little passengers will not obtain any injuries. Our product fulfilled whole homologation process with all required norms met.
Is the seat with the rotating base safe?
Yes. The seat wit the rotating base has been crash tested and gained a proper approval. All is safe and working.
Can I use your seat to transport children with no disabilities?
Absolutely. Our seat is tested and homologated not only to protect children with disabilities but also to keep every child safe according to the highest possible, newest standards.
How important is the proper head support for a child?
It is absolutely crucial for safety and wellbeing of your child to keep the head upright. A car seat head support helps keep your child’s head in one stable position so it is less likely that the head will droop during the ride. It is especially important for children with low muscle tone. Good head stabilization minimizes the risk of damage to the neck and spine during the collision. Stabilization is also helped by the tilt function of the seat, known as “tilt”.
Which parts of body can be supported and is the support adjustable?
Our product provides all kinds of support from adjustable headrest, shoulder protectors, lateral supports, side supports and knee supports. Also feet support is a vital part of the system. All supports are easily adjustable and can be fitted to any person and any special need. Your child is protected and taken care of from head to toes.
How to adjust the safety belts correctly?
Fitting and adjustment of the seat can be done outside the vehicle. You can adjust seat depth, backrest, lateral supports, headrest, hip support and you can stabilize child’s position with 5 point harness. When fitting the seat into the vehicle please use the user manual to make sure that the space selected to put the car seat is intended for such use. Drive the belt through the green shoulder and lap belt guides. Fasten the seat belt, make sure it is not twisted, and you can drive safely. Remember that the lap belt should hold the pelvis firmly. Make sure that the belt is always running through the guides.
Is foot rest safe to use during the drive and especially during a crash?
Of course. Foot support is very important because it effects all of the posture. If you allow your child to roll the legs up or just place them on the front seat it is impossible to force a proper sitting position. Especially for the children with various disabilities it is pf the essence to allow their bodies and muscles to relax to prevent any other possible harm like numbness or even clots in the limbs or just bruising which can be painful. It needs to be underlined that our seat is crash tested with all extra equipment for both front and side collisions so all the parts, foot rest included, are perfectly safe.
Is the table try useful and can it be used during the drive?
The table try is quite large which makes both eating and playing very comfortable. It can be used while driving of course. SIMON car seat has successfully passed the crash tests with the dedicated table installed and received proper approval. It does not reduce the safety levels by any means. It is made of special rigid foam which does not cause any additional damage in case of an accident. It is not permissible to use other tables, such as those made of plastic which have not been tested and are not properly approved.
Can I use additional cushions to make the seat more comfortable for my child?
Making changes to the seat or using accessories not approved by the manufacturer may reduce
a level of safety offered by the seat. The manufacturer is not responsible for the consequences of using the device with unauthorized changes and additional accessories not approved for the device. Please keep in mind that our product is crash tested with rehab gear and only this gear is absolutely safe to use especially in case of the accident.
How your seat can help my child relax its mind and muscles during the drive?
Our seat is uniquely divided into three zones. Music zone which is equipped with speakers which can be used just to listen to music or other sounds that can relax or even massage your child. Safety zone with fully adjustable support system and five-point stabilizing belts which allow to keep the child in upright and physiologically correct position and comfort zone If the position is correct and the seat is nicely fitted to the child it will keep little patient comfortable and relaxed.
Can the car seat be still used after being involved in the car accident?
Considering that the seat's structure is designed to actively absorb the energy created during a crash, it is important to emphasize that after an accident, the seat should be replaced with a new one to make sure that all components affecting safety or the structure of the seat have not been affected by the impact. There may be microcracks or other damage, even if the seat looks good. Any damage, even minor damage, makes continued use reckless and can be dangerous.
How to correctly place a car seat inside the vehicle?
Statistically, the safest place for a child seat is in the back seat behind the driver's seat, but in the case of our product, it is possible to place the seat in both the back and front seats if the seat is equipped with ISOFIX and airbags disabled. It is very important that the car seat is installed correctly. Make sure that the back of the car seat back rests against the back of the car seat on which the device is installed. Remember to place the car seat so that the free space between the car seat and the door is as small as possible. This will minimize the risk of head injury in the event of a side impact. If the vehicle's head restraint prevents the seat from adhering properly, remove it if possible. If not, choose another place in the vehicle to install the seat.
What are the benefits of 5-point harnessing?
A five-point harness is a form of seat belt that contains five straps that are mounted to the seat frame. It has been developed for better safety and introduced in racing cars. It provides five attachment points to restrain your child at the shoulders and hips. Better protection of a child has been repeatedly proven by crash tests. Certified test dummies allow us to determine exactly how the pressure on a child’s body is distributed during an accident. It proves that 5-point harnessing is by far the most effective.
Can I travel to other countries and continents with my car seat?
i-Size car seats meet an improved safety standard that applies in EU countries and more than 100 countries around the world. When it comes to traveling abroad, knowing what is appropriate and what is not can be even more complicated. Regulations and guidelines for child car seats vary from country to country. In the United States, different states also have different rules. If you make a mistake, you could be fined, which is sure to spoil the holiday spirit. To make sure the car seat you are using is legal, check the road safety rules at your destination.
Are the covers of child seat removable and washable?
Of course. The covers are removable and washable. It needs to be underlined that the device can’t be used without upholstery. So do the washing, put it back on and use it safely.
Why do current regulations use a child's height, rather than weight or age, as a reference for choosing a car seat?
The parameter of hight describes the childe better than the weight. The key parameter is the shoulder hight because it allows to adjust the course of the seat belt just above the child’s shoulder which ensures that the child is properly held during a traffic incident.
