Gothenburg, Sweden - Volvo has introduced a range of three new child seats with the emphasis on comfort and convenience.
Lotta Jakobsson, the senior technical leader for injury prevention at the Volvo safety centre, explained: "We understand that many people find child safety in cars a complex and sometimes confusing subject.
"Teaching adults how to install and operate a child seat is one thing - getting the child to stay in the seat is another thing entirely, especially as the child gets older.
"We want to ensure that young children travel in the safest manner possible, depending upon their size and age. That means facing to the rear up to the age of at least three or four years, and after that with child seats or booster cushions until the child is at least 1.4 metres tall.
"Many parents allow their children to sit facing forward too early, often because the child complains that there is not enough legroom, or that the upholstery of the seat is too warm."
The new seats have a slimmer design to increase legroom and overall comfort, she says, and are upholstered with a more breathable, 80 percent wool fabric that's smoother to the touch than the usual acrylics, durable and performs better in both hot and cold climates.
Also read: Are rear-facing kids really safer?
The new rearward-facing infant seat is suitable for babies up to 13kg or nine months old infant.
The new rearward-facing child seat is designed for children from nine months to six years old; Jakobsson advises a rear-facing seat until the child is at least three or four years old.
The new booster seat is intended for children who have outgrown the child seat, until they are at least 1.4 metres tall.
"We believe that children will be more comfortable in our new rearward-facing child seat," Jakobsson said, "and that this will encourage parents to keep their children facing to the rear for longer - it's important for children to travel facing to the rear for as long as possible."
The new seats were developed with leading child seat maker Britax-Romer and were tested at the Volvo Safety Centre in Gothenburg. They will be available in South Africa from July 2016.