Get your child car seat checked - for free

Bury Council’s road safety team will be hosting a child car seat clinic on 15 and 17 July at Asda Pilsworth (10.30am–3pm).

This will give parents the chance to learn about the latest types of car seats and make sure that the seats they already have are correctly fitted.

Jan Brabin, senior road safety officer for Bury Council, said: “In-car safety is important for all ages but vital for babies and children, who are particularly vulnerable due to their size. An event like this can give parents practical advice and real peace of mind.”

Under law, all children aged up to 12 and below 135cm tall (whichever they reach first) must be in the appropriate child car seat for the vehicle. Studies have shown that between 40%-70% of child car
seats are fitted incorrectly, which means that the restraint will not work effectively in the event of a crash or the vehicle stopping suddenly.

A survey last year in Bury revealed that 37 (40%) of the 93 car seats checked were incorrectly fitted, and a further ten (11%) were deemed to offer insufficient protection.

ENDS

Press release issued: 18 June 2014.