Growing family sizes might reshape car manufacturer safety thinking

It’s difficult for vehicle manufacturers to react as quickly as they might like to changing trends and demographics, since vehicles take such a long time to develop and bring to market. But it seems Peugeot is ahead of the curve right now when it comes to the family-friendly credentials of its all-new 5008 SUV. And it’s because the new 5008 is one of the only vehicles of its type to cater for the growing size of families in the United Kingdom by having three ISOFIX anchor points for child seats across the second-row seats.

According to data from the U.K.’s Office for National Statistics (ONS), more households in the U.K. now have three or more children than at any point since as long ago as 2003. So, as the law in the U.K. states, all children under 12 years old or 135 cm tall, whichever comes first, have to be seated in a vehicle in the correct child seat, Peugeot’s all-new seven-seat 5008 crossover will be one of only a handful of vehicles currently available with three ISOFIX anchor points across the middle row.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the introduction of the ISOFIX safety standard, which was first introduced by the European Union. As there are now at least 1.19 million families with three or more children in the U.K., being able to fit three child seats across the second-row seats of the 5008 could provide growing families with greater peace of mind, as well as giving Peugeot a competitive advantage in the market. The rising number of larger families has helped contribute to the increased demand for larger, versatile family vehicles capable of accommodating growing numbers of young children.

Peugeot’s Marketing Director, Mark Pickles, explained, “With many more families in the U.K. having three or more children, the reality is that parents need to be able to fit more child seats into their vehicle. The modularity of the final design of the all-new 5008 SUV helps brings ease and comfort to the lives of young, active families.” JB

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