To transport children under the age of 7 by car, responsible parents must have a child seat installed, suited to the child's height and weight. For children aged 7 to 12, special equipment (booster cushion, car seat) should be installed to ensure the seat belt is worn correctly.
If you think that holding your child in your arms during a trip guarantees their safety, you are very much mistaken. In a collision with another vehicle at a speed of 50 km/h, the load on your arms will exceed the child's weight by 30 times, amounting to roughly 120-150 kg. Now think about whether you would be able to hold on to such a sudden, instantaneous weight.
In Moldova, transporting children in a car without a special seat is punishable by a fine of 450-600 lei / 3 penalty points.
When choosing the right car seat for your child, you need to take their weight and height into account:
| Group | Weight | Age (approximate) |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | From birth up to 10 kg | From birth up to 6-8 months |
| 0+ | From birth up to 13 kg | From birth up to 12-15 months |
| 0+/1 | From birth up to 18 kg | From birth up to 4 years |
| 1 | From 9 up to 18 kg | From 9 months up to 4 years |
| 1/2 | From 9 up to 25 kg | From 9 months up to 6 years |
| 1/2/3 | From 9 up to 36 kg | From 9 months up to 10 years |
| 2/3 | From 15 up to 36 kg | From 4 up to 11 years |
| 3 | From 22 up to 36 kg | From 4 up to 12 years |
The car seat Group 0 resembles a pram carrycot, is mounted perpendicular to the vehicle's direction of travel and is secured with two seat belts. It is suitable for premature babies and children with spine problems. However, its level of safety is lower compared to group 0+ seats.
In the car seat of Group 0+ the child is in a semi-reclined position, facing backwards against the direction of travel and secured with a 5-point harness. This helps prevent dangerous head movements during sudden braking. In addition, seats in this group can also be used as a carrycot.
Car seats convertible 0+/1 combine groups 0+ and 1. This means that a child under 13 kg will be positioned facing backwards, while one over 13 kg will face forwards. Opinions on convertible car seats are divided. They are usually cheaper than seats designed for a single group, but their comfort and safety are debatable, since they must include all the elements needed to correctly secure the child both facing forward and facing backward.
Car seats Group 1 are installed only facing forward and the child is secured either with a 5-point harness or with the seat's impact shield. In practice, up to 70% of these seats are installed incorrectly, reducing all safety to zero. Therefore, even when buying the safest model according to crash tests, half of its effectiveness depends on correct, careful installation according to the instructions.
Convertible seats 1/2 and 1/2/3 combine several age groups of children in one seat. As a rule, they are bought with the idea of "buy once, use for 10 years". They can be installed on both the front and back passenger seats using the car's seat belts. As mentioned earlier, convertible seats are cheaper than seats designed for a single group, and this is certainly offset by their level of safety or degree of comfort. To fully grasp the point, just imagine a seat in which a 9-month-old baby and a 9-year-old schoolchild would feel equally comfortable and safe.
Car seats of group 2-3 no longer have their own internal harness. Both the child and the seat are secured with the car's seat belt. Here, the main purpose of the seat is to support the child until the car's seat belt can be used properly on its own, providing side protection and correctly routing the belt. Besides the weight criterion (15-36 kg), it is also important to consider the child's height for this group of seats. To be sure the seat is a perfect fit for your child, their height should be at least 95 cm.
Seats in group 3 are the so-called "boosters" – seats without a backrest. They are usually used when the child is already tall enough. The great advantage of boosters is their low price. However, most experts tend to believe that using boosters is not advisable, as they offer no side protection. Special group 2/3 seats are preferable.
And do not forget that seats combining several groups, even if they help you save money, are inferior in quality and safety to seats designed for a single group.