From baby seats to safety systems, everything is important in family vehicles , especially when it comes to buying a family car .
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Important tips for buying a family car
If choosing a car is already a complicated task, given the extensive offer of vehicles on the market, imagine the difficulty of choosing a family vehicle. Today we bring you some important tips for buying a family car.
When there are babies or children in the family, car seats are a major concern. The most modern cars already include some features or sophistication that minimize the risk of an accident and reduce its possible consequences. Still, the use of a car seat remains essential for the safe transport of babies and children. The following points must be taken into account when purchasing a family car.
The family car must have the following characteristics:
- Safety systems such as airbags, ABS, and Electronic stability control (ESP).
- Ability to switch off the passenger airbag.
- Easy access to the installed car seat to place the child and secure it properly.
- Integrated rear door locking system.
- Ability to disable window regulators and other optional elements in the rear area.
- Protection against trapping the rear windows and the roof, if necessary.
- Protection from the sun or UV rays.
- If you have more than two car seats, you must ensure that the middle seat is compatible with the installation of car seats.
- Enough space in the luggage compartment to store the cart.
Tips for installing car seats:
- ISOFIX fixing system allows quick and safe installation.
- Ideally, there should be an i-Size seat.
- The seat belt buckle must be accessible, and the belt must be long enough to properly secure a car seat (this is especially important when considering buying an older used car).
Note the following points about installing car seats in a car:
- The car seat must be suitable for the car in question – all necessary information can be found in the vehicle’s manual.
- Confirm that there are car seats compatible with the car.
Tip: Read the information provided in the car seat and car manuals.
- Confirm that there is enough space to install the rear facing car seat.
Attention: Specifically, check that the seat is wide enough and that it has the correct shape to accommodate a car seat and ISOFIX fixings.
- If the baby seat has a support leg, check that it is installed in an area on the floor of the car that guarantees stability in the event of an impact. Some cars are already equipped with a storage compartment in the rear area. Do not place your support leg in such an area as it does not guarantee sufficient support in the event of an accident.
- Ideally, in case of carrying older children in car seats with the backrest high, the head restraints of the car seat should be removed.
Max Anthony
Max is a gizmo-savvy guy, who has a tendency to get pulled into the nitty gritty details of technology and cars. He attended UT Austin, where he studied Information Science. He’s married and has three kids, one dog and a GMC truck and a Porsche 911. With a large family, he still finds time to share tips and tricks on cars, trucks and more.
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