Keeping your child safe in the car

It is a parent's nightmare to see their child injured in a car accident, but studies have shown that many parents are not taking enough precautions to ensure the safety of their children whilst travelling in the car. Statistics show that 75-80% of child seats are incorrectly fitted, and 63% of children aged 6 and above are allowed to travel in a car without any child restraint.

Regulations on child car safety are going to be tightened in May 2006 to help keep children safe, and if successfully implemented, are expected to save 2,000 child injuries and fatalities a year.

New child seat regulations
A consultation paper published for the forthcoming regulations (available to read at http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_rdsafety/documents/pdf/dft_rdsafety_pdf_038198.pdf) advises that:

• if child is 3 or less, an appropriate child restraint must be used (apart from if unavailable in a taxi)

• parents must ensure children aged over 3 and with a height less than 150 cm use an appropriate child restraint for their size

• rear-facing baby seats must not be used in a seat with an active frontal airbag

• all child restraints must conform to UN-ECE Regulation 44/03 or Directive 77/541/EEC requirements (rule to be introduced in May 2008)

• there must not be more people in the rear of a vehicle than there are seats

Common mistakes with child seats
Many parents make simple mistakes when strapping their children in and when fitting a child seat which significantly reduce the effectiveness of the seat. Some of the most commonly made errors include letting the seatbelt rest too loosely, lettingthe buckle rest on the seat, fitting a seat that is incompatible with the car, and letting a child sit in a seat that is the wrong size.

Seatbelts are designed for people with a height of over 150cm (around 5 feet), so before that height isreached alternative car seat safety must be used. For the best protection in the event of an accident, it is recommended that children be seated in:

• a rearward facing baby seat for age 0-15 months

• a forward facing child seat for age 9 months - 4 years

• a booster seat for age 4-6

• a booster cushion for age 6-11

Rebecca Pearson of www.duck2watercarinsurance warns parents against letting their children use adult seatbelts:

"When we spoke to our car insurance customers about seating arrangements for their children, 90% of parents regularly let their children aged over 9 use adult seatbelts in the car. Although most children want to use the adult seatbelts before they are ready to, letting them do so really compromises their safety. The roads are a dangerous place; we urge all parents to adhere to the May 2006 regulation and reduce the risk of child casualties."

Get a cheap car insurance quote now!