Parents invited to ‘Check It Fits’ child seat event

The Road Safety Authority’s Check it Fits service will be visiting Dundalk on Tuesday next, April 10th.

The ‘Check it Fits’ service is quick, it’s easy and it’s free. On the day experts will advise on how to fix any problem, demonstrate how to fit the restraint correctly and answer any queries participants might have. The experts aim to put parents, grandparents and guardians minds at ease that their child’s car seat is safely and securely fitted in their car.

The law states that all children under 150cms or 36kgs must use a child car seat appropriate to their weight and height. Since October 2013, the RSA’s Check it Fits Service has checked over 21,000 child car seats and restraints in Ireland. Of those seats checked, 79% required a major adjustment, of which 3% were deemed not fit for purpose and condemned, meaning they could have caused injury or even death in the event of a collision.

Speaking about the upcoming visit to Dundalk, Adrian O’Sullivan, Road Safety Officer with Louth County Council said ‘No parent or guardian would knowingly put a child’s life in danger but many of us allow our children to travel in vehicles without being properly restrained and potentially placing their lives and safety at risk. I would ask anyone with a child seat in fitted in their vehicle to come along to the upcoming visit to The Marshes Shopping Centre on Tuesday next.’

Parents cannot afford to assume that their child’s seat has been fitted correctly, as figures show that 4 out of 5 seats checked by the RSA over the last three years have required a major adjustment.’

Marshes Shopping Centre, Tuesday 10th April 2018 from 10.00am – 5.30pm. For more information on the Check It Fits service visit www.rsa.ie/ checkitfits.