Thousands of parents routinely failing to strap children in car correctly
New survey shows extent to which law on safety restraints for kids in vehicles is being broken
One in seven parents of children under 12 have admitted they routinely drive without their kids being properly strapped in, a survey has revealed.
They cited running late or making short journeys as the key reasons why they incorrectly secured their children in the car.
More parents in London admitted driving without the correct restraints in place than in any other area of the UK, with Scottish parents coming out as the most safety-conscious – just six per cent admitted they didn’t strap in their children when running late or making a short journey.
The findings were reported as part of a survey by Co-op Insurance, which polled 2,000 parents of children under 12.
In total, 13 per cent admitted driving other people’s children around without the proper or legal seats in place. Once more, the capital came out as the worst area for this, with 23 per cent of London-based respondents admitting to the dangerous practice.
Nick Ansley, head of motor insurance at the Co-op, said: “Our study estimates that thousands of children, maybe more, are being driven round without being correctly fastened into their seats.
“Child car seats and seat belts are there to keep people as safe as possible. If the worst was to happen and a vehicle was involved in a collision with children not belted in, then the consequences are likely to be much more serious than if a child was strapped in.”
By law, children under 12 or under 135cm must use a car seat, with the maximum penalty for driving a child without having a seat belt or child seat in place currently £500.
