6.7. | Presentation of German workshop organised by the German Kindersicherheit Kreiss (“child safety working group”) from Sebastian WEBER (AUDI)

During this workshop, Car manufacturer, CRs manufacturer & labs were represented. Some pictures were taken during this session and distance measurements were made. Installation was performed in OPEL Corsa, OPEL Astra sport Tourer, AUDI Q7, Audi A6 Avant and a Ford S-MAX. 3 different CRS (TAKATA maxi, ROMER Kidfix XP & CYBEX Solution X-Fix) were used and different gabarit. The presentation highlights the belt guidance difference between the F4 Gabarit and CRS & and also the buckle access and size difference between fixture & CRS.

During this workshop, it was found that:

• No relevant benefit was seen for an F4 gabarit reduced to 440 mm. Still it fits 3 in a row only in few vehicles.
• Disadvantage F4: no 10 year old children fit in these boosters
• For the F4 changes for belt routing and buckle access in the lower part is necessary.

And the following proposal is made:

• Changing the internal dimension requirement as in the CLEPA proposal (reducing 95%ile to 50%ile)
• No requirement to be made for vehicle manufacturers that 3 in a row fixtures for all vehicles becomes mandatory
• Height of fixture is no big problem in assessed vehicles.

All pictures of this workshop are available. Ask to sebastian.weber@audi.de for this.

Comments :

• The only family car presented in the workshop fitted the 3 F4-440mm gabarit, which was the goal of the EC .
• All current regulations deal with 50% dummies, which represent the average.
• As a universal revised i-size position, the F4-440mm is included in this really universal position, which insures that any child from 0 to 135cm 50% can sit in such a position.
• A complementary F5 gabarit offers more room for bigger children and can be tested with a Q10. It will not be within the revised i-size, but it presents the advantage of a “best in class” booster seat.
• The flexible wings and size adjustment could insure that a universal F4-440mm seat could reach an F5 size for a Q10, and therefore be universal up to 135cm, and “specific to vehicle” further.

Comes back on this presentation CRS-54-13e : data from Q10 is used as an input for the CLEPA presentation