We've been talking to the Baby Products Association, who represent companies making all kinds of baby and parenting products in the UK.
One of their biggest challenges is to work with other countries and governments to ensure that baby products are safe, easy to use and properly representing the needs of parents.
One project they are currently involved in is creating internationally-recognised symbols for certain car seats, and they'd appreciate the help of ThinkBaby members in choosing the right ones!
The concept
The new symbols are to go on packaging, cars and car seats to show that they have ISOCARE systems in them. The makers want something which is visually clear in any language.
What is ISOCARE?
At the moment, many cars are fitted with Isofix fittings which make it easier to simply 'plug' child car seats and restraints straight into without having to fiddle around with adult seatbelts.
ISOCARE is a system where, when an Isocare baby car seat is fitted into the front passenger seat of an Isocare-compatible car, the front passenger airbag is automatically switched off because the car's system has detected the correct seat.
It is vital, when travelling with a baby seat in the front of a car – even when it is facing away from the dashboard – to have any passenger airbag de-activated or switched off because the bag itself, if activated, could crush the baby in its seat in the event of an accident.
What we'd like you to do
Have a look at the images and tell us which symbol or pairing of symbols (where one label would be on the seat and one on the car) you think is the most clear, by naming it as per its labelled number. You can do this by linking to the forum link below (you need to be a member of the site to join the forum chat, but signing up is easy and free).
We will be feeding back your ideas and observations to the Baby Product Association who are then reporting back to an international committee later in March.
This is a really valuable project to be involved in and we hope you will give us your thoughts, even if you aren't yourself looking to buy a carseat that would require one of these.
Thanks!
