RSA to check correct fit of car seats
THE Road Safety Authority’s ‘Check it Fits’ service will be at various locations to ensure child car seats are fitted correctly.
It will be SuperValu in Bray on Wednesday, SuperValu in Arklow on Thursday, March 19, and SuperValu Greystones on Friday, March 20, from 10 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. each day.
RSA research has revealed that 4 out of 5 child car seats are incorrectly fitted nationwide.
At the Check if Fits days, child car seat installation experts will be available to ensure car seats and restraints are correctly fitted. The service takes between 10-15 minutes, is free of charge and offers parents and guardians reassurance that their child is safe while travelling in the car.
If a car seat or restraint is incorrectly fitted, the ‘Check it Fits’ experts will advise on how to fix the problem, demonstrate how to fit the restraint correctly and answer any queries.
‘The reality is that if a child’s car seat isn’t fitted correctly, it could lead to a serious or fatal injury in the event of a collision,’ said Aisling Sloyan, senior road safety promotion officer for the RSA.
‘Having a correctly fitted car seat is a simple measure parents, grandparents and guardians can take to ensure children are safe while travelling by car.’
Moyagh Murdock, CEO of the RSA, said: ‘The RSA “Check it Fits” service is there to provide professional, trustworthy advice to parents and guardians around child car seat safety.
‘We would advise all parents to ensure that when they buy a new car seat, that they get the seat fitted by an expert. We would also advise that parents to check the label on their car seat to make sure it’s appropriate for your child’s age, weight and height, to make sure your seat is firmly installed in the car, and to always ensure that your child’s harness is fitted snugly for every trip. Clothing can affect how the harness fits, so you should use blankets instead of bulky jackets in the winter. This makes sure that the harness is making contact with your child’s body and you should check this before every journey.’