How to use a child seat properly

Selection of a proper child seat corresponding to the body size of your child

Suggested height and age are reference only

For Infant

Mass of targeted infant is 10 kg or less or 13kg or less, stature is 70 cm or less and age is up to 1 year old.
For infant, there are bed type and rearward facing type.

Since an infant's skeletal structure is not yet developed, an infant car seat should be used so that the entire body from head to back can be supported.
The infant car seat should be installed facing backward or sideways.

For toddler (forward facing only)

Targeted child is mass of 9 to 18kg, stature is 65 to 100 cm and age is 1 to 4 years old. However, there is one CRS covering for infant and toddler (so call usage for both infant and toddler).

Use an infant car seat when the infant is able to sit up by himself/herself.
The infant car seat should be installed facing forward.

For school children

The CRS for targeted child for 15 to 36kg masses, stature is 135 cm or less and age for 4 to 10 is existing. However, CRS assesment is not included this category.
The perpose of this CRS is lifting up child hip to adjust adult hip position and may use adult seatbelt.
Reason not to include this CRS for the assesment is that performance of this type CRS is grearly influenced by the vehicle seat belt performance.

Approximate timing of child safety seat change

Child seats need to be changed as your child grows.
As for the dual-purpose type, the methods of installation and use depends on the time of use, so be careful not to change the seat at the wrong timing.

Effectiveness of CRS usage

What happens if CRS is not used?

Without the use of a CRS, the child will be thrown out.

What if I don't use CRS correctly?

If you don't use your CRS correctly, your child could be thrown out of the seat! A CRS should installed correctly.

Technical regulation of Child seat

Products that conform to the safety standards of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism are marked with the following type designation mark or type approval mark on the product.

In October 2006, the standards related to CRS were reviewed and harmonized with UN-Regulation No.44 (4th Revision) based on the United Nations Agreement on Agreement conserning the adoption of uniform technical prescriptions for wheeled vehicles, equipment and parts which can be fitted and/or be used on wheeled vehicles and the conditions for reciprocal recognition of approvals granted on the basis of these prescriptions (1958 Agreement) from the viewpoint of international harmonization of vehicle standards.

Also beginning in September 2013, UN-Regulation No.129 regarding the improved CRS under the 1958 Agreement was introduced.

Under the new safety standards, UN-Regulation No.129 (i-Size), only the ISO-FIX fixation method is available for the CRS.

In addition to the conventional front and rear impact standards, side impact standards have been added, and installation standards, which were previously classified according to weight, are now classified according to height, making it possible to better match the CRS to the child's body size. Also, safety has been improved in various aspects, such as the clarification of the conditions for switching to the forward-facing position as 15 months or older and 76 cm or taller.

Compatibility with the vehicle

Some of the CRSs cannot fit some type of the vehicles.
Please reffers and confirms CRS manufacturers' recommendation chart which are explain fitness to the vehicles, and then select proper CRS to fit for your vehicle.

In recent years, CRSs conforming to the new safety standard, UN Regulation No.129 (i Size), have become commercially available. i Size CRS can be installed in seats that are listed as i Size in the vehicle's instruction manual, as well as in seats of vehi cles for which the CRS manufacturer has confirmed conformity with the standard . For details, please contact the CRS manufacturer.

Fitting method to the vehicle

The installation method of the CRS varies from product to product, so please follow the respective instruction manuals.

There are two ways to fix a CRS to a seat: by using a car seatbelt or by using a common attachment device (ISO-FIX).

When using a car seatbelt to fasten the product to the seat, there are two types: a two point type and a three point type, depending on how t he seatbelt is fastened.

In the method of fixing to the seat using the common attachment (ISO-FIX), the child seat is fixed to the seat with special metal fittings attached to the back of the seat, and the support leg supporting the lower part or the top tether supporting the upper part eliminates wobble and hold the seat firmly in place . Anyone can install it easily and securely.

Many conventional CRSs are fastened to the seat using a car seat belt, but the method of fastening a CRS to the seat using a se at belt is often misused, and in such a state, the CRS may not provide its original safety performance.

Therefore, in October 2006, a review of CRS standards was conducted, and a type of CRS that is fixed to the car seat by a common installation device (ISO-FIX) is now on the market. In addition, all passenger cars (with a seating capacity of less than 10 passengers) newly released on the market after July 2012 are equipped with common fittings compatible with ISO-FIX CRS. (Some of passenger cars made befor e July 2012 are also equipped with common fittings.)

Since ISO-FIX CRS are easy to install, it is said that there is less misuse during installation compared to the type that is fixed to the seat using a car seat belt.

Use a safer ISO-FIX CRS that anyone can install easily and securely.

3 points fixing method using 3 points seatbelt

Types of CRS fixing device to the vehicle

Vehicle seatbelt

2 points type seatbelt: This type is used for front center seat or rear center seat. But many CRS in the market is not used for 2points seatbelt. However, revision of seatbelt and seatbelt anchorage requirements in October 2006, new passenger vehicle (under 10 passengers) and truck (GVM 3.5 ton or less) shall be equiped with 3points sestbelt from July 2012.
3 points type seatbelt: Seats other than seat with 2 points seatbelt installation are installed 3 points sestbelt. And retracting device for seatbelt are ELR specified below and etc.
ELR type (Emergency Locking Retractor) seatbelt: Seatbelt is freely pulling out normaly, but only when the shock is received, such as a sudden braking, this seatbelt has a device to lock.
ELR type seatbelt with CRS fixing mechanism with the combination of ALR (Automatic Locking) ): Normaly, ELR mechanism is activated, but when seatbelt is pulled out total length of the belt, the mechanism is changed from ELR to ALR and activate to pull in direction only and not to pull out at that time. This type can easily fixed CRS tightly.

Warning

Don't child play with seatbelt. The mechanism may change to ALR and if the belt is tangled with child neck or body, it will be happened serious injury such as a suffocation, due to belt cannot loosen. In the case of an emergency, and not to unfasten the belt, you should cut the belt by the scissors.

Common Fixing device (ISO-FIX)

This is a seat with a common ISO-FIX CRS compatible fixture attached to the back of the seat. Anyone can install easily and securely a CRS by fixing it to the seat with the common fixture withou t using a seat belt. (Some of passenger cars before July 2012 are also equipped with common fittings.)

Since an ISO-FIX CRS is easy to install, it is said that there is less misuse during installation compared to the type that uses automobile seat belts to secure it to the seat.

Vehicle with a built-in CRS

Normally, CRS is built in the vehicle seat (normally rear seat), and may use as the CRS after pulling out from the vehicle seat when child is on boad. Now a day, some imported vehicle has the CRS for school children (so call junior seat) as a optional equipment.

vehicle with a built-in CRS

Pay attention when CRS is installed

Install in rear seat: In the case airbag is installed for the front passenger seat, it is very dangerous to install reaward facing CRS in the front passenger seat, Therefore, strictly prohibited to do so.
Fix tightly: CRS shall be fixed tightly followed by users manual guidance. In the case of forward facing CRS, CRS shall be fixed tightly not to move (roughly around 3 cm or less) when force is applied for frontal direction on the top area of the CRS. In the case of the vehicle that has the seatbelt with CRS fixing mechanis (normaly, left and right side of rear sests), after installing CRS, vehicle seatbelt is fully pulling out and be activated ALR mechanism.

Advice: In the case seatbelt stopper is existing, it will be well done to use seatbelt stopper after CRS is loaded and vehicle seatbelt is pulled out to fix CRS by lap belt only.
Be carefull not to burn when child is sested: When the vehicle is parked under the flaming sun, CRS itself, buckle and metal parts of seatbelt became very hot and possibly be burned. Before child seat on the CRS, you shall be confirm to tatch mentioned parts.
Don't forget to adjust the shoulder belts on your child safety seat! If the shoulder belt is loose, your child may slip out of the car seat and the child s neck may get caungt in the shoulder belt, posing a risk of injury!: (1) Make sure that the shoulder belt fits the child's body.
(2) It is dangerous to leave small children alone in the car. Do not leave your child unattended in the car.