Every parent wants to ensure his or her child’s safety on the road. We all know just how dangerous our roads can be but with proper child restraints in your car, you can ensure that your children are protected.

Know the law

The new child restraint laws that came into effect in September 2006 are designed to ensure child safety in your car. The child restraints law covers in-car safety for children of all ages and heights. All children must be safely restrained in your car for their own safety. Drivers that choose to ignore the law and put their child’s safety at risk can face prosecution. Child restraints are designed to limit the impact when a vehicle is involved in an accident. They keep children away from the vehicle structure and distribute the forces of the crash over the strongest parts of the human body with minimum damage to the soft tissue. A crash at just 30mph would force an unstrained child to be thrown forward at a force 30 – 60 times their own body weight.

For everything you need to know about the law on child restraints visit www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/campaigns/childcarseats/childcarseats.htm

The Think! Road Safety website also provides advice and tips for in-car safety for children of all ages.

Baby on Board

Babies need more protection around their skull as it does not fully develop until the age of six or seven. The smallest impact could have devastating results like deformation or brain damage. Babies also need more protection around their rib cage and pelvis, more than an adult safety belt can provide. Car restraints for babies need to support the head, neck and back evenly and provide protection from both frontal and side impacts. Rear-facing baby seats are the safest option but must not be used in the front passenger seat if you have a passenger air bag fitted.

Beyond baby

If your child has grown too big for the adjustable harness on his/her baby seat (18kg and over), you can use a booster seat. A booster seat raises the position of your child allowing the adult seat beat to fit correctly across the chest and pelvis. If your child weighs between 22 – 36kg, it is safe to use a booster seat.

To install the car seat correctly in your car, make sure you read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully. If you take your car seat out of your car, follow the instructions when you put it back so that your child is not at risk.

All child car seats and restraints must comply with regulations and come with a guide to the age range covered. They are tested and approved by weight rather than size or age.

Choosing a car seat

You should always test the car seat before you buy it. Check that your baby/child fits in the seat comfortably and that it fits into your car. Don’t rush into it, take your time. Check that the car seat meets the United Nations Standard Regulation 44.03 or 44.04. If it does, it will have the ‘E’ mark on it. If you’re not sure about which car seat to buy, you can get advice from the Road Safety Department or your local council. You can also visit www.childcarseats.org.uk for useful tips on what to look for when buying a child restraint. Never buy from mail order or secondhand. You don’t know what kind of condition the car seat is in, if it’s been in an accident or if it is faulty.

Car seat insurance

If you’re worried about the possibility of theft, you can cover the cost of a replacement car seat with your car insurance.