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Make sure your seat is tethered All rear facing seats apart from the BeSafe iZi Combi ISOfix need to be tethered to the front seat if fitted in the rear of the car. It is vital that this part of the fitting of the seat is done correctly as this prevents the recoil of the seat in a crash.
If your car is already fitted with tether points then the seat's tether strap may be fitted to them quite easily. Otherwise you may be able to loop the strap around the back end of the front seat's slide rail if doing so does not interfere with the sliding mechanism. Failing that, it may be possible to loop the tether around the low point of the seat back where it is attached to the seat bottom - i.e. at the "hinge" part, so that it is wrapped right around the seat. There may be other sturdy parts of the front seat that could also be used, e.g. part of the metal upright as shown in the diagram on the left from the Recaro manual. The tethers have a loop at one end the buckle must be passed through this and pulled tightly. Please refer to manufacturers’ instructions on purchase of any child car seat. Avoid buckle crunch When the seat belt is passed through the front of the seat, adjust the straps so that the buckle rests at the side of the seat rather than over the frame of the seat. Fastening the buckle over the frame may cause it to fracture in the event of a crash, releasing the seat and causing injury to the child.
Use ISOFIX where possible ISOFIX stands for International Standards Organisation Fix. According to research by the German Insurance Institute, 96% of Isofix car seats are properly installed compared with only 30-40% of the traditional belted kind. Since 2006 the law has required all new models of cars to be built with Isofix fittings. However, some vehicles have been fitted with Isofix since 2001, so you will need to check in your vehicle handbook to see if your car is Isofix compatible.
Not every Isofix seat is compatible with every Isofix fitted vehicle. Always check the manufacturers’ material to make sure. Do not place anything under the seat It is inadvisable to place anything under the seat to either improve the fit or alter the angle of the seat. To do so may seriously impair the seat's effectiveness in the event of a crash. Adjust the harness correctly When fitting the child into the seat the harness must be correctly adjusted. The harness should be positioned at shoulder height. The harness must be tight enough so that only the flat of two fingers can be slid under at chest level.
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