Parents falling foul of car seat laws warns Britax

One in five parents are regularly breaking child car seat laws according to new research from Britax.

Their report finds that one in five parents often let their children travel without sitting in a car seat.

A quarter of parents don’t even know how to fit seats full stop.

The most common problems parents found when it comes to fitting car seats is difficulty getting seats to feel sturdy, not being able to get the seatbelt around the seat, or not even knowing where the seatbelt is supposed to go.

Despite changes in the law back in 2006 to help reduce child death and injuries whilst travelling in cars, less than 40 per cent of parents understand what the legal requirements are.

Child Safety Expert at Britax, Mark Bennett said: “It’s very worrying that this research has revealed that so many parents are breaking the law by not securing children in the car properly. Parents are always hectic and being in a rush is something we can all sympathise with. But it’s imperative that parents take note and adhere to the laws set in place to ensure their children’s safety when travelling in a car.

“We have listened to what parents have said about fitting child seats and we know that parents find installing them confusing and don’t always feel that they have the time to use one. Car seats which are installed incorrectly will not be as effective in protecting a child in the event of a collision, so it’s very important that we encourage parents to use car seats correctly every time. That’s why we want to spread the word about ISOFIX. ISOFIX is an incredibly quick and easy to use system which is almost impossible to get wrong. What’s more, we are also now incorporating universal Top Tether technology into some ranges, providing a third anchorage point to limit rotational movement and further increase safety”