News Fed. Law keeps Volvo from offering safer child seats

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Guest

New member
Gov't beauracracy at its finest.

However, this has me thinking. Porsche offers a car seat. I'm pretty sure I remember Mercedes offering their own as well. I didn't know about this rule and I thought those seats were specific to those manufacturers.

Now, I'm wondering what kind of seats they are and if they're any good. Admittedly it's stupid, but a big part of why I got the Recaro was for the racy Recaro name and looks (ok, the looks aren't too racy, but better than most). A Porsche branded seat (even if made by Recaro)....
drool.gif
 

Starlight

Senior Community Member
The booster looks just like the Monarch, and the combo seat vaguely like a British seat - the Evolva? Hmmm... I don't keep up on the infant seats, so no clue.
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
The Porshe and Mercedes seats were just Britax with colorful covers and some electronic doohickies to turn off the airbags (or not...that was only some of them), but they still fit in other cars. I don't get why these wouldn't fit in other cars :confused: Look like a Babysafe, Two Way Elite, and Monarch to me...

Edit, my bad...definitely multitech... http://www.britax.se/multitech08.htm
 

Momof4Girls

New member
Every seat must fit in every car? How do they allow for overhang (or not), handles up or down on infant seat, long/short/rigid buckle stocks, etc? Each vehicle manufacturer has its own standards for seats and seatbelts...just because a seat installs on the test bench doesn't mean it will install in every vehicle on the market.

One of the criteria we give is fits your car, fits your child, and will be used correctly each and every time. If all seats fit all cars, why does that need to be mentioned?

Raechel
 

An Aurora

Senior Community Member
I really like how the infant seat if RF'ing in the front seat, while Volvo doesn't have airbag switches and started using airbags in the early 90's :rolleyes:
 

Stresch

New member
I wonder if Volvo would claim these seats are ONLY for their cars? If so, how could they be tested? And wouldn't it suck to not be able to ever take your kid in someone else's car if they didn't have the right brand vehicle?

That didn't really strike me as an unbiased article. Where was the comment from NHTSA?
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
This would explain why the actual Volvo seats that didn't get released a few years ago didn't make it to market, I guess (they were very odd, I don't feel like googling, but a few of us wanted them, back in the day :whistle:)...but these are just Britaxes that they sell in other countries for other cars, where's the specialization? They need to tell me what they've done with Volvo to make them only Volvo compatible :confused:

Yeah, NHTSA's side of the story would be interesting, wouldn't it?


Anyone read the comments on that blog below the article? I thought guys who read car blogs would be smarter than the average bear about crashes and physics, I'm sorry I was so wrong :eek:
 

Guest

New member
No, guys who post comments on car sites tend to be people with the mental maturity of a 2 yr old. Whether they're in their teens or 60s.
 

Pixels

New member
I wonder if Volvo would claim these seats are ONLY for their cars? If so, how could they be tested? And wouldn't it suck to not be able to ever take your kid in someone else's car if they didn't have the right brand vehicle?
I think that's exactly NHTSA's reasoning. Because you know that if they release this, and it was "Volvo vehicle compatible only," at some point it's going to end up in another manufacturer's vehicle.

Every seat must fit in every car? How do they allow for overhang (or not), handles up or down on infant seat, long/short/rigid buckle stocks, etc? Each vehicle manufacturer has its own standards for seats and seatbelts...just because a seat installs on the test bench doesn't mean it will install in every vehicle on the market.

One of the criteria we give is fits your car, fits your child, and will be used correctly each and every time. If all seats fit all cars, why does that need to be mentioned?

Raechel
I think they oversimplified it when they said every seat has to fit in every car. But that is the intention, that each seat will fit in the vast majority of cars. And that is why seats must be tested with not just LATCH, but seatbelt as well, because not all vehicles have LATCH, let alone in every position.

The Porshe and Mercedes seats were just Britax with colorful covers and some electronic doohickies to turn off the airbags (or not...that was only some of them), but they still fit in other cars. I don't get why these wouldn't fit in other cars :confused: Look like a Babysafe, Two Way Elite, and Monarch to me...

Edit, my bad...definitely multitech... http://www.britax.se/multitech08.htm
Especially considering that the convertible was installed using the seatbelt.
 

twinsmom

New member
Volvo :thumbsup:

NHTSA :thumbsdown:

The convertible looks exactly like my new seats; just swapped out the "Britax" label on the seatback with a "Volvo" label.
 

Gena

New member
Out of curiosity, is the picture of the little boy rear-facing correct? I know that kids RF much longer in parts of Europe than here in the US, but the top of his head is above the head support of the carseat. Is that allowed in Europe? It seems to me that it would be dangerous, especially in the front seat with the wind shield right there behind him.
 

twinsmom

New member
Out of curiosity, is the picture of the little boy rear-facing correct? I know that kids RF much longer in parts of Europe than here in the US, but the top of his head is above the head support of the carseat. Is that allowed in Europe? It seems to me that it would be dangerous, especially in the front seat with the wind shield right there behind him.

Yes, it is correct. They can sit in the seat until the eyes are level with the top of the headrest.:)
 

HEVY

New member
Both seats are RF in the front, I wonder if Volvo disables the airbag if you purchase the seat. I can't imagine RF anyone in the front, let alone putting a child in the front period. But I love those seats.
 

Synchro246

New member
Gov't beauracracy at its finest.

However, this has me thinking. Porsche offers a car seat. I'm pretty sure I remember Mercedes offering their own as well. I didn't know about this rule and I thought those seats were specific to those manufacturers.

Now, I'm wondering what kind of seats they are and if they're any good. Admittedly it's stupid, but a big part of why I got the Recaro was for the racy Recaro name and looks (ok, the looks aren't too racy, but better than most). A Porsche branded seat (even if made by Recaro)....
drool.gif

The Porche Marathon my friend had a pretty plain cover with a porche patch on it like the college covers. The thing that got me it that it had no LATCH!
 

Gena

New member
Yes, it is correct. They can sit in the seat until the eyes are level with the top of the headrest.:)

Gena, see how the Swedish seat looks in this crash test? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K62Ea8Fs4ng There's no downward rotation like US seats, so it's ok for the head to be up and out of the seat a bit.


Thanks for the clarification! It seemed strange to me to see him with his head so far out of the headrest. I just kept thinking about the windshield breaking and crashing onto his head. But that's just a gut response on my part. Physics isn't one of my strong areas, so I'll trust all of you experts who say it's safe.
 

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