Is your child always safely buckled up?

Transporting your child in a safe and correct manner on car journeys is very important. The right car seat is step 1, but correctly buckling up your child in that seat is just as important. That is why we are very excited about the new VSV campaign, because making that promise to strap in your child correctly can save lives.

Maybe you've seen the ads along the roadside: the Flemish Foundation for Traffic Engineering VSV (Vlaamse Stichting Verkeerskunde) has started a big campaign about the safe and correct use of safety belts and harnesses. Astrid Coppens, Eddy Planckaert and Pieter Timmers are the ambassadors for the campaign, and they promise to always transport their (grand) children safely.

What makes us even happier is to see that Pieter Timmers uses a super-safe iZi Modular X1 i-Size car seat by our brand BeSafe to buckle up his daughter!

But how does that work; ensuring your child is safe in the car?

Step 1: select the correct car seat, suited to your child's height
Our BeSafe iZi Go Modular X1 i-Size is a portable car seat suitable for children from birth until they are about 75cm in height. You ALWAYS place this car seat in the car facing backward – this is very important.

Select a car seat that meets the i-Size standard, as these are classified based on the height of your child, which is a safer and more reliable measure than your child's weight.

Step 2: make sure you fasten the safety straps until the buckle clicks
A group 0 car seat or group 1 car seat has a built-in safety harness. It is crucial that you fasten the straps correctly and tightly, to guarantee the car seat can offer the right protection. How do you check whether you fastened the straps correctly? You should not be able to pinch the straps together between your fingers. The straps have to lie flat and snug against your child's body, but not be too tight. Also important to know: a five-point safety harness is always safer than a three-point harness. The energy that is released on impact is absorbed more evenly by a five-point harness.

Step 3: use your car seat for a long enough period – it is mandatory until your child measures 1m35
In most European countries, children have to sit in a car seat until they are 1m35 in height. This means that it is still important to ensure that children that are in primary school are buckled up correctly, in a safe car seat.

A car seat also offers extra comfort for larger children, as it prevents the seat belt from cutting into their neck. The car seat ensures the seat belt lies flat on their shoulder. A group 2/3 car seat gives a bit of elevation too, and extra head support and safety.

The iZi Flex Fix by BeSafe was the very first car seat for larger children that complied with the i-Size standard. BeSafe is a true pioneer in the field of car safety, for children of all ages. Whether they are new-borns, toddlers or already in school!