Q. When was ISOFIX invented?
A. The ISOFIX system was first introduced during 1997 as a joint development between the Volkswagen and Britax Römer companies in correlation with the launch of the Golf IV. The Group 1 seat was known as the Römer Prince (and Bobsy at VW). Now the system is being offered by almost all vehicle and child safety seat manufacturers.
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Q. Who developed ISOFIX?
A. ISOFIX was developed by Volkswagen and Britax Römer for the Golf IV. The system was first introduced during 1997. Since February 2004, the ISOFIX standard is part of the European ECE-R 44 test standard. Now ISOFIX is being offered by more and more automobile and child safety seat manufacturers. As of February 2011, it is required by law that the system be integrated into a minimum number of seats in all new cars.
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Q. How does ISOFIX work?
A. The connection:
ISOFIX anchorage points are installed in the vehicles – there are matching connectors on the child safety seats. With this system the seats are securely, correctly and permanently attached to the vehicle body.
What happens during an accident:
In case of an accident, the child safety seat is just as quickly slowed down as the car itself due to the fixed connection between child safety seat and vehicle body. This all reduces the strain placed on the cervical spine as well as the risk of head injury.
An additional important effect of the ISOFIX connection is that the sideways movement of the child safety seat is minimized and the tipping movement to the front is intercepted by a foot prop or the Top Tether.
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Q. How does the ISOFIX seat differ in case of a frontal or side impact compared to a belted system?
A. In a frontal or side impact, ISOFIX reduces the force applied on the child, thus minimizing the risk of injury. In a frontal collision, the foot prop and/or the Top Tether minimizes the forward tipping movement of the seat. With our patented Pivot Link System, the energy of the collision is also conducted away from the child safety seat and into the car seat. In addition, the fixed ISOFIX connection ensures that the child safety seat is just as quickly slowed down in the case of an accident as the car itself is. This all reduces the strain placed on the cervical spine as well as the risk of head injury.
If by contrast a child safety seat is secured with a three-point belt, the deceleration first takes effect when the belt has been stretched taut, thus somewhat later. This increases the force applied on the child. Another important effect of the ISOFIX connection is that the sideways movement of the child safety seat is minimized in case of an accident.
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Q. What are the advantages of ISOFIX?
A.
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Simplified installation of the seat in the vehicle
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Fewer possibilities of operator errors. Only approx. 30% of the child safety seats that are secured through use of the vehicle safety belt are correctly installed. Whereas 96% are correctly installed when using the ISOFIX system.*
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The more secure the connection between child safety seat and vehicle body, the better the restraint effect on the child in the safety seat during an accident. This is because there is less force applied on the child due to the controlled reduction of energy.
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Some ISOFIX seats (Britax DUO) can also be secured in vehicles without ISOFIX anchorage points through use of the safety belt (see approval list!).
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Seat is also secured when driving without a child. For these reasons, child safety seats with ISOFIX supports perform better in crash tests in general than otherwise identical seats with conventional belt supports. The system is therefore generally recommended by traffic safety experts and accident researchers.
(* The German Insurance Institute GDV, Group 1 )
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Q. What are the disadvantages of ISOFIX?
A. Some older cars can’t offer ISOFIX anchorage points and some ISOFIX seats are in turn only approved for certain cars through a vehicle-specific registration. Due to their more complex and material-intensive construction, ISOFIX seats are often somewhat heavier than belted systems. Furthermore, ISOFIX seats are more expensive than seats with belt fastening due to their technology and the extra materials.
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Q. How do I recognize the ISOFIX anchorage points and where are they located?
A. The anchorage points in the vehicle are usually located on the outer seats in the back in the gap between the seat and rear seat backrest. These areas are often marked with notices and seat cushions and/or equipped with insertion aids for the connectors.
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Q. Can I upgrade my car to ISOFIX?
A. On the part of the child safety seat, one can always upgrade to the ISOFIX base with a baby carrier as long as the vehicle has an ISOFIX anchorage point available. The vehicle itself can also be upgraded with ISOFIX anchorage points at a special workshop. But these must always be approved by TÜV or a similar association.
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Q. Britax ISOFIX-system with pivot link – what is it and why is it better?
A. This unique patented system was developed by Britax and is used in all ISOFIX Group 1 seats. It takes advantage of the ISOFIX anchorage points while simultaneously reducing much of the forward rotation of the seat using the pivot link, thus channelling a large part of the energy downwards into the car seat. This means that in the first phase of a collision, the movement of the child that is directed forward is markedly absorbed and reduced by means of the seat being initially pressed into the car seat.
In the second phase, the forward movement of the child safety seat is slowed down. All in all, this causes the pivot link to reduce the strain placed on the child’s body and the cervical spine in particular. This reduces the risk of head injury through, for example, collision with the front seat.
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Q. What does the approval list mean in regards to ISOFIX?
A. Child safety seats are approved in accordance to ECE R 44/03 and 44/04 in various groups for each different installation and/or usage type. In individual cases, especially for the installation of ISOFIX, the approved vehicles are listed in an approval list.
There are several categories of use for the following Britax seats, in part the corresponding approval list must be noted here:
BABY-SAFE plus II and SHR II - Group 0 + (up to 13 kg)
1. Approved for use with 3-point belt (without base) = universal
2. Approved for ISOFIX base (with support leg) = semi-universal approved -> Refer to type list
3. Approved for use with the belted base (with support leg) = semi-universal -> Refer to type list
Britax DUO plus - Group 1 (9 to 18 kg)
1. Approved for use with 3-point belt = universal
2. Approved for use with ISOFIX and top tether (additional harness system) = universal
3. Approved for use with vehicle specific ISOFIX -> Refer to type list
SAFEFIX plus - Group 1 (9 to 18 kg)
1. Approved for use with 3-point belt and foot prop = semi-universal -> Refer to type list
2. Approved for use with ISOFIX and support leg = semi-universal -> Refer to type list
SAFEFIX plus TT - Group 1 (9 to 18 kg)
1. Approved for use with ISOFIX and TT = universal -> Refer to your vehicle manual for ISOFIX and top tether connections.
KIDFIX - Group 2-3 (15 to 36 kg)
1. Approved for use with 3-point belt = universal
2. Approved for use with 3-point belt, additional fastening to the ISOFIX anchorages = semi-universal -> Refer to type list
KIDFIX SICT - Group 2-3 (15 to 36 kg)
1. Approved for use with 3-point belt = universal
2. Approved for use with 3-point belt, additional fastening to the ISOFIX anchorages = semi-universal -> Refer to type list
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Q. ISOFIX vs. ISOFIT
A. ISOFIX and ISOFIT are child safety seats that are attached to the vehicle body with connectors. With our ISOFIX seats, the child is secured through use of the integrated 5-point belt system; with ISOFIT through use of the 3-point belt. An additional distinguishing feature is the classification of the child safety seat. The ISOFIX description is used for Groups 0+ and 1, and the ISOFIT description for Group 2-3.
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