20% of parents don’t use child seats – here’s how you can keep your kids safe
ONE in five British parents are risking their kids’ safety by not using a child seat. Drivers can find themselves in hot water with police if they fail to properly secure their children before taking off. More than 20 per cent of parents and grandparents who take children in their motor don’t use child seats, […]
ONE in five British parents are risking their kids’ safety by not using a child seat.
Drivers can find themselves in hot water with police if they fail to properly secure their children before taking off.
More than 20 per cent of parents and grandparents who take children in their motor don’t use child seats, according to recent RAC figures.
The worst offenders were parents or grandparents aged 45 to 54, with six per cent admitting to regularly failing to use child seats.
Men are also more likely to not use a child seat, with 17 per cent of male drivers admitting to the dangerous offence.
More than half of the drivers who admitted to not strapping their kids in did so because they didn’t have a seat on hand.
How to safely transport children in your car
- Use a certified child seat according to height and weight
- Always use the rear seats rather than the front
- Fasten the child seat correctly
- Tighten the straps on the harness
- Ensure the seat faces the rear for as long as possible
- Make no exceptions during short trips
- No outerwear of backpacks
- Place all equipment in the boot
- Lead by example
- In the event of an accident, remove the child from the car in their seat
Worryingly, 15 per cent said they didn’t use one due to their shortness of the journey, while another 10 per cent said their car seat was the wrong size for their child.
New laws introduced in 2017 state children are required to use car seats until they are either 12 years old or 135cm tall, whichever comes first.
Kids weighing as little as 15kg could previously use backless booster seats, but experts have warned they could be dangerous.
Backless booster seats are now only approved for children weighing more than 22kg or taller than 125cm.
Only EU approved seats marked with a capital E can be used in the car.
If you’re caught using an unsuitable or incorrectly fitted car seat, or your child isn’t using one at all, you can be fined £500.
The incorrect use of a child seat can have deadly consequences.
In a 30mph collision, the injury sustained by a child weighing 8kg who is thrown from a seat is similar to failing from a three-storey building.
Sophie Steane, spokesperson for RAC Shop, said: “Having the right car seat for your baby or child is essential.
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“Our findings show that many parents and grandparents have taken risks by not using the proper seats.
“While many say they have only done this very occasionally and only for very short distances, you can never be sure that something bad won’t happen.
“We imagine more risks have been taken with older children than babies, but we would urge every parent and grandparent not to chance it as the thoughts of something terrible happening would be too much to bear.”