Child car seats clinic – a perfect fit

Parents who attended a recent car seat clinic held by Bury Council’s road safety team were helped to understand the meaning of ‘a perfect fit’.

Officers gave them information packs explaining the latest and different types of seats and restraints available and the stages at which they should be fitted. Experts from Child Seat Safety Ltd were there to carry out tests and ensure that the seats were suitable for their child and fitted correctly.

A total of 141 child car seats were inspected during the two-day clinic held at Asda Pilsworth. Some 67 (48%) were correctly fitted and 74 (52%) required adjustments or were not suitable for the child or
vehicle. This percentage of incorrectly fitted or unsuitable child car seats was the same as recorded at last year’s car seat clinics, and in line with national surveys. While some of the fitting errors were easy to remedy, they could have had serious consequences had they not been corrected.

Jan Brabin, senior road safety officer, said: “Parents are now more informed and aware of the need for child car seats since the law changed in 2006. The biggest problem we now face is ensuring that every child is in the appropriate restraint. Events like this show that, while children may have a car seat, a high percentage of child car seats are either unsuitable for the child, unsuitable for the vehicle or not fitted correctly.”

Julie Dagnall from Child Seat Safety said: “Fitting child car seats correctly can be complicated, given the huge variety in the types of child car seats and vehicles on the market. We always recommend
purchasing from a retailer that will show you how to fit the car seat and let you ‘try before you buy’. Child car seats are not universal, but developments with ISOFIX and I-Size will seek to improve compatibility and ease of use.”

ENDS

Press release issued: 18 August 2014.

Picture attached: Claire Williams from Child Seat Safety ensures that a child car seat is fitted correctly.

Note to editors:

The law says that all children must use an appropriate child restraint until they reach the age of 12 or 135cm in height (whichever they reach first).

There was only one child below 135cm tall and under 12 at the clinic that didn’t have a car seat to use. Children need additional protection in cars because their bodies have not fully developed and
they are particularly vulnerable to head and neck injuries in a crash or collision.

Most Common Problems:

• Adjust the harness - Child restraints requiring harnesses were too loose or incorrectly positioned on the child’s shoulders.


• Re-route the seatbelt - Seatbelts not routed to the manufacturer’s guidance or the instructions provided with the restraint.


• Twisted seatbelt - Adult seatbelt too loose or twisted preventing correct fitting of child restraint.


• Adjust headrest - Head restraint used to restrict movement of the child restraint.
  

In-car safety top tips:

• It is illegal to put a rear facing child seat in the front passenger seat of a car where there is an active airbag fitted.


• Adjust the internal straps when your child changes clothes or as your child develops to ensure that they are secure.


• Don’t buy child restraints on the internet as you will not be shown how to fit them and they may not be suitable for your vehicle.


• Don’t use second hand child car seats as they have a lifespan of approximately five years and you cannot be sure of their history.


• If you are involved in a bump, crash or collision you should replace the child car seat even if no one was in the seat at the time. Some insurers will replace them for free as part of your policy.