Standards

Child Restraint Safety Standards

Safety standards are a set of officially approved specifications covering such topics as methods of testing, terminology, performance and construction requirements. A set, or sets of expected norms and acceptable outcomes. Standards can be enforced by regulation as well as legal or military recourse.

Improvements to safety standards come about through the development of new and better standards or codes of practice, of which change daily in some countries.

Engineers, designers and manufacturers have to make sure their products adhere to the relevant standards.

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What age for the front seat?

New Zealand Standard NZS 1754

Australia Standard AS/NZS 1754

UK Standard ECE 44.03

Inbuilt child restraints Rule 32017

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When can my child use the front seat?

The back seat is the safest place for children under 12 years of age. Never place a rear facing seat in the front with an airbag, even if it is only for a trip up the road. The largest percentage of accidents happen only a few kilometers from home, placing your child rear facing in the front seat could cause serious injury or death in unlikely event of an accident.

Only put forward facing child in the front seat (under the age of 12 years) when the back seat has no spare seats. Move the passenger seat back as far as possible and restrain the child correctly according to your child's weight and height. If the back seat is available use it at all times.

Source: LTSA - Quoted under "What if my car has airbags"

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New Zealand Standard

NZ "S" 1754
Characteristics: Yellow diamond shape or yellow rectangle shape.

Child restraints certified for use in New Zealand will show an 'S' mark (New Zealand Standard NZS 1754). This may also be on a long skinny sticker, (rectangle).

This standard appears on American made seats. No car seats are currently made in New Zealand. The last seats made in NZ were around 1998, before being sold to an overseas company. 

FMVSS 213

Restraints that comply with the United States Standard (FMVSS 213) must, in addition to any other markings, display the New Zealand Standard 'S' mark, to show they have been certified for use in New Zealand.

Source: LTSA (Quoted under "Standards Markings")

NZS 1754

The red circle shows where the yellow "S" standard sticker is found on this child restraint. Some seats may have them one the side, or under any pockets attached to the seat cover.

Compliance carried out by Bureau Verities New Zealand

So what is tested?
Front Impact Tick 24 G Force
Rear Impact  
Side Impact  
Inverted Impact  
Genital Injury Test  

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Australian Standard

AS/NZS1754

AS/NZS 1754
Characteristics: Red and white rectangle shape with 5 white ticks.

The red "five ticks" Standards Mark is a globally recognised symbol of safety and quality. It indicates that a product has been independently tested and meets the recognized national or international standards. 

When traveling to Australia, AU 1754 "5Tick" Standard is only accepted. They do not accept standards from other countries. 

The red circle shows where the red and white "5 tick " standard sticker is found on this child restraint. Some seats may have them one the side, or under any pockets attached to the seat cover.

Compliance carried out by SAI Global

So what is tested?
Front Impact Tick 28 G Force
Rear Impact Tick 14-21 G Force
Side Impact Tick 14-21 G Force
Inverted Impact Tick 8-15 G Force
Genital Injury Test Tick Yes

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United Kingdom Standard

UK 44.03

UK ECE R44.03
Characteristics: Orange or red square sticker for NZ imported and white for UK purchased.

ECE R44 03 is an international standard for all restraint systems. The seats are marked as "universal" which means they fit most cars around the world, however this does not mean all.

New Zealand imported car seats appear to have an orange sticker. Seats bought over from the UK may not be coloured at all (left). All appear to have an "E" in a circle with a number. The number will be different from seat to seat.  Not all UK standard seats have these details on a sticker. Some are printed on fabric panels on the seat. These stickers also tell you the weight range for the seat it is attached to.

The red circle shows where the orange, red or white "UK R44.03 " standard sticker is found on this child restraint. Some seats may have them one the side, or under any pockets attached to the seat cover.

The standard amendment number four of ECE R44.04, was introduced at the end of June 2005, and all new child car seats had to meet this standard from the end of June 2006.

"This R44.03 norm dates from 1 September 1994 and a seat older than this, e.g.R44/02 or R44/01, is definitely no longer safe to install in present-day cars and is therefore dangerous". - Daniela Renniers

Click here to see how to read a UK ECE label.

So what is tested?
Front Impact Tick 22 G Force
Rear Impact Tick 14-21 G Force
Side Impact  
Inverted Impact  
Genital Injury Test  

*G = Force of Gravity

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Inbuilt Child Restraints

Land Transport Vehicle Equipment Rule 32017

With the addition of the Japanese Technical Standard, all in-built child restraints in a car that has been certified for use on New Zealand roads will meet one of the standards.
2.9(4) The approved standards for child restraints are:

  • (a) Australian Standard/New Zealand Standard 1754 Child restraint systems for use in motor vehicles;
  • (b) British Standard 3254 for adult seat belts, forward facing child safety seats and child harnesses;
  • (c) British Standard AU185 for booster cushions;
  • (d) British Standard AU202, Specification for rearward-facing restraint systems for infants, for use in road vehicles;
  • (e) UN/ECE Regulation No. 44, Uniform provisions concerning the approval of restraining devices for child occupants of power-driven vehicles (“Child Restraint System”) (E/ECE324-E/ECE/TRANS/505/Add.43);
  • (f) Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 213, Child Restraint Systems;
  • (g) Technical Standard for Child Restraints (Japan).

2.9 (4)(g) Technical Standard for Child Restraints (Japan)
A child restraint that complies with 2.9(4)(g) must be integrated with the rear seat of a motor vehicle

Source: August 2006 - Land Transport Rule - Vehicle Equipment 2004.

Source

So what's tested? Little Treasures Oct/Nov 07.

Source

Land Transport Safety Authority - LTSA