Who are VTI?

If you’ve come across Swedish Plus Tested car seats, you might have seen the name VTI attached to them - but who exactly are they, and why are they trusted when it comes to child car seat safety?

VTI: The Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute

VTI stands for Statens väg- och transportforskningsinstitut - the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute. It’s an independent government-owned organisation that conducts scientific research into transport, road safety, and vehicle technology.

Among other areas, VTI plays a crucial role in child car seat crash testing, particularly for the highly respected Swedish Plus Test - one of the most demanding voluntary safety tests in the world.

What do they do with car seats?

VTI is responsible for designing and carrying out the crash testing protocols behind the Swedish Plus Test. This test focuses on the most dangerous type of crash: a high-speed, head-on frontal collision - the kind most likely to result in serious injury or death.

VTI’s testing methods are extremely strict:

• They measure the forces on a child’s neck during the crash - something many other tests don’t focus on

• Seats must keep these forces below a level that would cause serious injury

• The test uses short braking distances to simulate the harshest crash forces possible

• No forward-facing seats have ever passed it - only rear-facing ones meet the required safety threshold

The testing is voluntary, meaning manufacturers choose to submit their seats. Those that pass proudly carry the “Swedish Plus Tested” gold label - a mark of exceptional crash performance.

Why should parents care?

VTI’s work helps ensure that the seats carrying the Swedish Plus Test label offer some of the best frontal impact protection available. This is especially reassuring when choosing extended rear-facing seats for toddlers and young children.

Their testing isn’t about bells and whistles - it’s purely about survival. If a seat has passed the Swedish Plus Test, you can feel confident that it performs exceptionally well in the most dangerous type of crash.

FAQ

Which seat scored the best in the Plus Test?

The Swedish Plus Test isn’t scored or ranked - it’s a pass or fail system. Seats either meet the strict requirements or they don’t. There’s no “best” seat; if a product carries the Plus Test label, it has passed one of the most rigorous crash tests in the world.

Why do they only test rear-facing toddler-style seats and not infant carriers or high backed boosters?

The Plus Test is specifically designed to assess neck loads in severe frontal crashes - something that’s most relevant for larger, older children transitioning out of infant carriers. Infant carriers are already rear-facing and generally offer excellent protection when used correctly. High backed boosters are a different category altogether and rely on the vehicle’s adult seatbelt, so they fall outside the scope of this type of testing.

Is a seat without the Plus Test label unsafe?

Not at all. Many excellent seats haven’t undergone the Plus Test, particularly if they aren’t sold in Sweden. However, if a seat has passed, it’s a strong indicator of superior protection in frontal impacts - especially in terms of reducing neck and spinal forces.