Why is isofix safer

Rather than relying on a belt, the car seat is fixed directly to the child seat base. Nearly all Isofix seats have green and red indicators to show you when the seat is fixed correctly, too. Add in a rebound bar and an extra leg support or top tether strap and the Isofix system feels incredibly secure.

Booster seats can also be permanently secured with Isofix. Isofix has been standard on all new cars since the mids so if there is a high chance, your car will have it fitted. Originally Isofix had the two anchor points but some cars also have a top tether point — usually on the back of the seat. Isofix car seats won't fit any car quite like an old car seat, which will fit in almost vehicle so long as it has a three-point seat belt.

The easiest way to know if your car has Isofix is to check the seats for Isofix labels. You'll usually find them where the backrest meets the lower squab. Better still, check for the Isofix points themselves, often they'll be hidden behind marked covers that are easy to spot. Isofix is an internationally standardised car seat fitting system that locks your baby seat or seat base onto the seats of your car. It will hold a baby seat in place even in side impacts — unlike older seats held by seatbelts — and it should also make a baby seat easier to fit.

Isofix points were developed by Britax-Romer and VW and were first seen on cars in By most cars had Isofix points fitted or available as an option and by Februaury , all new cars were required to have them fitted. Manufacturer Approved. Home Guides What is Isofix? Written by Russell Campbell. Isofix makes it easier to safely fit a child seat to your car by using standardised anchor points rather than the seat belt. It's our preferred method of fitting child car seats and something we always recommend.

Keep reading to find out why Isofix exists, how it works and what cars have it. By submitting, you agree to our privacy policy. All of the restraints tested meet the Australian standard for child restraints. The full results are available from www. It is a legal requirement all passengers are correctly restrained VicRoads Director Vehicle and Road Use Policy, Robyn Seymour reminded everyone transporting children that they are legally required to ensure all passengers are correctly restrained.

The road rules in Victoria require: A child under six months to travel in a rearward facing child restraint with an inbuilt harness. A child aged six months to under four years to travel in either a rearward facing or forward facing child restraint with an inbuilt harness. A child aged seven years to under 16 years to travel in either a booster seat or an adult seatbelt.

Fix is short for Fixation. Isofix systems use specific points in the car to affix to the car-seat base. Usually there are two specific points in the seat which are the isofix points that the seat attaches to. If you install a car seat with an isofix, then you will not usually use the vehicle's seat belt for the install too. While it may be tempting to do both, it's usually recommended that you don't because the seats are not tested with both in use and the manufacturers cannot guarantee you won't compromise safety.

Some seats will offer the option between a seat belt install or an isofix or latch install. These can be useful because you get to choose and can opt for the install method that keeps your seat more stable. That said there is an exception to this general rule: booster seats. This uses isofix to stablise the seat itself, whilst the vehicle belt secures your child and their seat, for added security.

The safety is the same if you have installed the seat in compliance with the car seat manual and with the car manual. One benefit to the isofix, over the vehicle belt install, is that it's really easy to install the isofix tightly while sometimes it's hard to get a vehicle belt install tight enough.