Nearly a fifth of parents with children under 12 ‘never or rarely use a child seat’
One year on from new rules about backless booster seats being introduced, the vast majority of parents are still puzzled by them, with many not using them for their children, according to new poll
A shocking 18 per cent of parents with children under 12 years old never or rarely use a child seat, according to new data.
Insurance comparison website Confused.com polled 1,500 UK motorists with children aged between one and 12 years old, and found that 18 per cent of them never or rarely used a child seat. The survey also showed that 88 per cent were still puzzled about the law regarding backless booster seats.
In February 2017, new rules were introduced to say that children below a certain height and weight had to sit in full child seats as opposed to backless booster seats. However, 26 per cent of parents surveyed said they found the rules confusing.
In addition, a staggering 42 per cent of parents who have been involved in an accident while their child was in the car admitted that their son or daughter was either not wearing a seatbelt or not in a child seat at the time.
Respondents to the survey gave a number of reasons for not using a child seat:
• 31 per cent didn’t think their child needed one
• 29 per cent changed cars and didn’t transfer the seat
• 25 per cent said they were making a short trip
• 14 per cent said it was an unexpected emergency journey and they didn’t have time to use the seat
• 11 per cent said there was no room in the car
• Nine per cent forgot
• Six per cent said their child wouldn’t let them put them in a seat
• Four per cent didn’t know how to fit the seat
The law states that children must use the appropriate seats for their age, height and weight until they are 12 years old or 135cm tall. Under the new rules introduced last year, backless booster seats are deemed unsuitable for children shorter than 125cm and weighing less than 22kg.
The RSA #CheckItFits team will be in Roscommon on Tuesday. Get your your child car seats checked for free. See: https://t.co/GcFETioIpf @toyotaireland pic.twitter.com/GH04xTFMBM
— RSA Ireland (@RSAIreland) March 2, 2018
Amanda Stretton, motoring editor at Confused.com, said: “The car seat regulations introduced in February last year are still causing confusion among parents.
“Crash impact films show what a difference having the correct car seat can make to your child’s protection, and while the rules might be confusing, they are in place to make sure children are as safe as possible.
“Mums and dads who do not comply with the law may face fines of up to £500.”
By Tristan Shale-Hester