True Side Impact Protection

What is True Side Impact Protection? True Side Impact Protection is a system that provides advanced levels of side impact protection to your child during a crash.

Where is True Side Impact Protection located on the car seat? Since True Side Impact Protection is a system, it encompasses multiple areas of the seat including the deep side walls of the seat shell and the adjustable head restraint. It also includes the energy-absorbing foam that lines the head restraint.

Why does the seat need True Side Impact Protection? Side impact crashes pose a serious threat to child safety and therefore make side impact protection a necessity for child seats. In fact:

• 1 in 4 crashes occur from the side
• Injuries are more severe in side impact crashes
• 30% of fatalities are a result of side impact crashes
• Vehicle side air curtains are designed to protect adults, not children

Source: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

It’s also important to understand how a child is injured in a side impact crash to understand how True Side Impact Protection can prevent injury to your child. A child could possibly be injured by:

• The lack of a “crumple zone” between your child and the vehicle door resulting in direct impact of the oncoming vehicle.
• Contact with any intruding objects such as the car door, glass, metal shards, etc.
•  Acceleration of the body as the car comes to a sudden halt; a quick change in speed is what causes injury to the body.

How does True Side Impact Protection work?

During a side impact crash both your child’s head and chest are extremely vulnerable to injury. The chest is more exposed because your child’s shoulders are wider than their head, and therefore likely to be the first point of contact with intruding objects coming from the side and jolting the chest. Your child’s head should always be protected to avoid serious and permanent injury.

True Side Impact Protection utilizes the rigid seat shell, lined with energy-absorbing foam, along with the head restraint to keep your child’s head and chest protected from the side impact crash forces…

• Distributes crash forces:
  Crash force energy cannot be destroyed; it can only be managed or diverted away from your child. The combination of deep side walls, energy-managing foam and head restraint allow for a larger surface area to divert crash force energy away from your child during impact.
  
• Shields the child from vehicle intrusion:
  Again, during a side impact crash, your child could possibly be injured because of the lack of a crumple zone and/or coming into contact with any intruding objects. The combination of the deep side walls and head restraint create a barrier between your child and any possible intruding objects.
  
• Contains the head and body:
  A side impact crash does not necessarily result in another vehicle making direct contact with your child, however you still want to keep your child from “rolling” out of the seat and making contact with the vehicle door or window. Here, True Side Impact Protection helps to contain your child’s head and body in the seat.
   
• Minimize side to side head movement and literally “true” the head:
  Minimizing movement and keeping the neck and spine aligned limits potential injury. Remember, a quick change in speed is what causes injury to the body. By limiting the movement of your child during a crash, you are limiting potential injury.

How long has Britax incorporated True Side Impact Protection in their seats?

Britax began incorporating True Side Impact Protection into its seats in 2002 with the introduction of the Wizard convertible car seat, Companion infant carrier and the Bodyguard belt-positioning booster seat.