Unsafe travels
Published
More than 11,000 fines have been issued to motorists for not securing children in cars since 2022, according to new research from independent car and van leasing agent Select Car Leasing. And apparently, the number of fines issued peaks from April to August each year, suggesting that the summer holiday period is a time when parents sometimes get lax.
Fines of up to £500 could be issued if a child under 14 is not in the correct car seat or wearing a seat belt while you’re driving, according to the law. So, family drivers are being urged to stay safe and legal this summer. Latest Department for Transport road casualty stats showing that 25 per cent of all car occupant fatalities involve someone not wearing a seat belt. A proper car seat and/or seatbelt can be the difference between life and death in the event of an accident.
Child car seat regulations first came into force in 2006, requiring all children under 14 travelling in a car to be safely secured in a vehicle. Children must use a child car seat until they are 12 years old or 135cm, whichever comes first.
Babies that weigh between 0 and 13kg should be in a rear-facing baby carrier or rear-facing baby seat using a harness. Babies between 9 and 18kg can be placed in a rear or forward-facing seat using a harness or safety shield and babies between 15 and 36kg can be placed in a rear or forward-facing child car seat using a seat belt, harness or safety shield. If using a height-based seat, babies should be rear-facing until they are 15 months old.
Another new report from Swedish car seat specialist Axkid reveals that the UK is lagging behind in child car seat safety, with only 22 per cent of UK children aged two-to-four years remaining in rear-facing car seats, compared to 83 per cent in Sweden. A new study found that most UK parents turn their children forward-facing before the age of four - despite evidence from the world’s toughest crash tests proving rear-facing seats are up to five times safer.
Campaigners say the UK is failing parents by not providing clear guidance and are calling for an urgent update to advise rear-facing car seat use until the age of four, in line with Sweden
Visit https://www.selectcarleasing.c... and axkid.com
