Children are being put at risk by a third of parents in ireland, because they are being secured in a car seat when they should, when travelling a car. These are the findings from a recent study looking into child car seat safety and parent awareness.
The investigation questioned parents about a range of topics including how to fit a car seat securely, but just over half (53 per cent) believed in the advice retailers gave to them about the product.
The study went on to show that 38 per cent of parents with children aged 15 years old or under misjudged the age or height that a child could travel without a car seat.
Almost eighteen per cent believed that children aged eight years old or who were 110 cm in height did not need a car seat, with another 20 per cent assuming that a child aged 10 years old or of a height of 120 cm, could travel without a child safety seat.
motor insurance experts said that driver’s and parent’s need to be more aware of their responsibility in making sure that the car seat being used conforms to EU safety standards and that it is suitable for the child’s age, weight and height.
One insurance consultant said of the survey’s findings, “It doesn’t matter if they’re 10 months or 10 years old, children need to use child car seats until they’re taller than 135 cm or they reach their 12th birthday. Unfortunately there’s still huge confusion among parents about who should be using a child car seat, and not enough advice on how to fit seats properly.”
New laws handed down by the EU state that all children travelling in a car up to the age of 12 years old must be secured in a suitable car-seat for the journey. However, the study discovered that one in three parents are underestimating the age and size that their children should be, to travel without a child seat.
The EU law specifies that children should travel in an appropriate car-seat until they reach a size of 135 cm (4 ft 5 inches) or until they become 12 years old. During the survey, when asked about a child’s size or age for travelling without a car seat, only four in 10 parents were able to give the correct information.
Rochelle Martinez, Freelance Web Content Article Writer for three years. Some of her articles are about
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