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Efforts to make children safer in cars


Child restraint systems

The requirements specified in the recently revised Child restraint systems for use in motor vehicles AS/NZS 1754:2010 are intended to reduce the likelihood of injury to a child seated in a restraint in the event of an accident.

AS/NZS 1754:2010 specifies the design, performance, and function of child restraints, including suitable materials, packaging, labelling, and marking provisions. The Standard now also classifies restraints by height and approximate age ranges rather than the mass of a child. This includes requirements for eight types of child restraints, ranging from those suitable for newborns through to children up to 10 years of age (up to 138 cm in height).

This is a change that the National Council of Women of New Zealand supported in their comments on the draft Standard in 2009, stating, 'The new requirements for marking minimum and maximum shoulder heights on a child restraint will make selection and use of an appropriate size of a child restraint easier for parents and carers. The more direct approach, built into the Standard, is an acceptable improvement.'

Booster cushions are no longer covered by AS/NZS 1754:2010 because of the limited side protection they offer.

Three new test methods for child restraints under the Methods of testing child restraints AS/NZS 3629 series have also just been published.

AS/NZS 1754:2010 was revised by joint technical committee Child restraints for use in motor vehicles CS-085.

International specification for car seats and airbags

While car airbags save thousands of lives each year, they have also been known to cause injury, and, even death – with young children at greatest risk. To address this issue, a new three-part ISO technical specification offers solutions to reduce the risk of an airbag being deployed against a child seat in the event of a crash.

The new technical specification published under the general title Road vehicles – Child seat presence and orientation detection system (CPOD) ISO/TS 22239 is intended to ensure that all CPOD systems are compatible with one another.

The specification defines requirements for a child seat presence and orientation detection system (CPOD). Such a system enables child seats placed on any CPOD-equipped passenger seats to be automatically detected whenever a child is at risk from an active airbag. It uses radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to obtain the:

  • presence of a child seat
  • orientation of the child seat (forward facing or backward facing)
  • child seat type identification
  • system diagnostic.

Falk-Hagen Brämig, the CPOD project leader comments, 'The purpose of this detection system is to improve the overall safety performance of passenger restraint systems, particularly by reducing the risk of airbag deployment.'

To improve ease of use, the specification has been divided into three parts.

  • ISO/TS 22239-1:2009 Specifications and test methods specifies a child seat presence and orientation detection system (CPOD). It describes the main system functionality and provides design recommendations and requirements, as well as compatibility measurement requirements.
  • ISO/TS 22239-2:2009 Resonator specification describes the CPOD resonator. It defines the electrical and environmental requirements to be met by the resonators as a condition for CPOD compatibility.
  • ISO/TS 22239-3:2009 Labelling specifies instructions for use as well as labelling requirements of child restraint systems and vehicles equipped with the CPOD.

ISO/TS 22239 was developed by ISO technical committee ISO/TC 22, Road vehicles, subcommittee SC 12, Passive safety crash protection systems, working group WG 1, Child restraint systems in road vehicles.

Information sources for this article include Standards Australia media release dated 24 February 2010 on AS/NZS 1754:2010 and ISO media release dated 3 March 2010 on ISO/TS 22239.

→ Buy AS/NZS 1754:2010 Child restraint systems for use in motor vehicles

→ Buy ISO 22239-1:2009 Road vehicles – Child seat presence and orientation detection system (CPOD) – Part 1: Specifications and test methods

→ Buy ISO 22239-2:2009 Road vehicles – Child seat presence and orientation detection system (CPOD) – Part 2: Resonator specification

→ Buy ISO 22239-3:2009 Road vehicles – Child seat presence and orientation detection system (CPOD) – Part 3: Labelling

Related Standards

  • AS/NZS 3629.1:2010 Methods of testing child restraints – Method 1: Dynamic testing
  • AS/NZS 3629.7:2010 Methods of testing child restraints – Method 7: Test for suitability of seatbelt length
  • AS/NZS 3629.8:2010 Methods of testing child restraints – Method 8: Test for suitability of booster seat profile
  • AS/NZS 3629.9:2010 Methods of testing child restraints – Method 9: Test for length of seating surface on a booster seat

(Note – prices subject to change from 1 May 2010)

 
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