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In-Car Safety
Making sure your child is travelling safely and
legally in an appropriate and well fitting car seat is
not easy - there are a number of factors to consider
before you begin.
If you have a child under the age of 14 years of
age, the law states it is the driver's responsibility to
ensure the use of a
correctly fitted and
suitable car restraint.
But don't forget that when friends
and relatives transport your child, they take on this
legal responsibility.
Identify the type
Find out which type of car seat or
restraint fits your child 's age, size or
weight.
Avoid buying a car seat restraint just because it was
on-sale or friends have it and it looks safe. The restraint is
only safe if it fits in YOUR car with YOUR child.
Unfortunately the majority of car seats and restraints are not
universally fitting and need to be treated just as if you were
buying a new integeral engine component part, that
is carefully and specifically.
Try before you buy
Many stores will let you try before you buy and will offer
advice and free fitting. But don't feel pressured to buy on the
spot afterwards. Take some time, shortlist seats that fit,
and you might be able to find one that suits both you
and relatives who may be driving your child.
Remember to be cautious. There is no way of monitoring the
quality of advice and expertise provided, so it is a good idea to
do a bit of your own research beforehand.
Online fit-finders
Some car seat/restraint manufacturers websites have their
own online 'fit-finders' to help you identify which of their
products are compatible to your car make and model; Britax and
Maxi-Cosi.
Go to a comprehensive list of child car
seat manufacturers.
Contact your cars manufacturer
Often they will hold information about which car seats will
fit.
Research
"Never buy second-hand car seats, you never know if they
have been in a crash and weakened."
Sarah Savage, Safer Journeys
officer
Euro NCAP: this provides an independent assessment of the
safety performance of some of the most popular cars sold in
Europe. See the results of their safety performance test on
your model of car at www.euroncap.com/tests.aspx
where it also details the child car seat fitted.
Why not visit the AA
website for a quick overview of simple dos and and
don'ts to keep in mind when trying out different seats.
The Law
| |
| |
Driver |
Seat belt must be worn if
available. |
|
Driver |
| |
Child up to three years old |
Correct child restraint must be
used. |
Correct child restraint must be used.
If one is not available in a taxi, the child may travel
unrestrained. |
Driver |
| |
Child from third birthday to 12 years
old or under 135cm in height |
Correct child restraint must be
used. |
Where seat belts are fitted, the correct child restraint must be
used. An adult belt must be used if the correct child restraint is
not available:
- in a licensed taxi or private hire vehicle;
- over a short distance when the journey is unexpectedly
necessary;
- when two occupied child restraints prevent the fitting of a
third one.
|
Driver |
| |
Child 12 or 13 years old or over
135cm in height |
Seat belt must be worn if
available. |
Seat belt must be worn if
available. |
Driver |
| |
Adult or child over 14 years old |
Seat belt must be worn if
available. |
Seat belt must be worn if
available. |
Passenger |
The penalties (for each person)
- The penalty for non-compliance is a £60 fixed penalty
notice.
- If a case goes to court, the maximum fine is £500.
- Penalty points are not applicable.
Having trouble keeping your child in their seat?
Teaching children the importance of their restraint can be can
be an arduous task. Often we hear of children refusing to use their
restraint or continuous escape episodes. If this happens to
you, try to keep calm, focus on continuing to drive safely
until you can pull over and stop in a safe place
to address the issue with your child. If you are
experiencing such issues and are not sure how to handle them,
please feel free to contact the Safer Journey Officers for an
informal chat and advice.
Need more help?
To find out more, visit Think Road Safety, a
comprehensive guide from the Department of Transport to help you
choose the best restraints for children of a particular age and
weight.
Also check out the Protect Child
website.
You can also contact one of the council's Safer Journeys
officers via the Road Safety team to discuss your concerns.
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