Car seat safety
Car seat checks in the County reveal just ONE in 10 in Hampshire are fitted properly.
Just ONE in 10 car seats checked in Hampshire are fitted properly.
Heart's been given the figures after recent checks across the County.
Free child car seat checks are taking place at Basingstoke Fire Station on Saturday 15th May 2010.
Hampshire County Council, in partnership with Hampshire Fire and Rescue are working together to carry out professional checks - for free between 10am and 4pm.
Car seat checks held this in other parts of the County have found that only 11% of those child car seats checked were in fact fitted correctly.
Important points to remember:
* Check the height of your child. Children up to 135cm in height (and under 12 years old), need to use a child seat, booster seat or booster cushion suitable for their weight.
* Before you buy or use any child restraint, check the label to make sure it is suitable for the child's weight (they must be approved to United Nations ECE Regulation 44.03 or later approved standards, e.g. 44.04).
* Check that any restraint is securely fitted. If your child travels in more than one vehicle, check the car seat or restraint fits each car so it can be moved between them each time they travel.
* Get expert advice. Many retailers have trained in-store experts who can advise on the best kind of car seat for a child and can demonstrate how to fit it
Hampshire County Council’s Executive Member for Environment, Councillor Mel Kendal, said: "Nearly half of the number of children injured on our roads were the occupants of a vehicle so it is essential to ensure that child car seats are fitted correctly and in accordance with the manufacturers specification and so we hope that as many members of the public as possible take full advantage of this free expert advice.”
Road Safety Coordinator at Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, Station Manager Clyde Evans, added: “We welcome the opportunity to work with Hampshire County Council to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads. We hope that the help and advice given out will help to influence people to take positive action when it comes to safety in the car, particularly where children are involved.
“It is essential that parents and children are given as much safety advice as possible and we will be doing all we can to ensure that motorists realise what is expected of them.”
For further information about car seat safety and for details of the forthcoming car seat checks click here.