Car seat spot check shock
Nearly 80 per cent found unsafe
A SPOT check on child car safety seats in Loughborough found that nearly 80 per cent of seats were not fitted properly.
Police officers carried out checks on 90 seats over the course of the day at Willowbrook Retail Park, Derby Road, Loughborough. The shocking results found that only 23 (21 per cent) of the seats were correctly fitted and in good order.
A SPOT check on child car safety seats in Loughborough found that nearly 80 per cent of seats were not fitted properly.
Police officers carried out checks on 90 seats over the course of the day at Willowbrook Retail Park, Derby Road, Loughborough.
The shocking results found that only 23 (21 per cent) of the seats were correctly fitted and in good order.
Police found that 35 seats (31.5 per cent) had minor faults, (such as the harness being too loose), 21 seats (19 per cent) were found with major faults, (such as the seat being incorrectly fitted), six were completely incompatible for child or vehicle (the seat was too big or too small for the child) and two seats were condemned.
Of the 90 checks carried out five people spoke with the team to seek advice.
The law requires all children travelling in the front or rear seat of any car, van or goods vehicle must use the correct child car seat until they are either 135cm in height or 12 years old (which ever they reach first).
After this they must use an adult seat belt.
According to The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) a child must travel in an appropriate child restraint, which must:
• Conform to the United Nations standard, ECE Regulation 44.04 (or R 44.03) or to the new i-size regulation, R129. Look for the ‘E’ mark label on the seat.
• Be suitable for your child’s weight and size.
• Be correctly fitted according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
RoSPA states: “There are many different types of car seat available. They are divided into categories, according to the weight of the children for whom they are suitable. These correspond broadly to different age groups, but it is the weight of the child that is most important when deciding what type of child seat to use. i-size seats are designed to keep children rearward-facing until they are at least 15 months old.”
Jonathan Clarkson, spokesperson for the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Road Safety Partnership said: “It’s alarming to see that so many local people are putting their children at risk; car seats are subject to strict safety standards that can save a child’s life in the event of a collision.
“A child in a sub-standard seat would be at a much greater risk of death or injury than if they were in a seat that meets UK safety requirements.
“We strongly advise parents to buy the safest seat available and ensure that they know how to fit and adjust it correctly.”
• For more information visit www.childcarseats.org.uk