Child auto seats – all you require to know

If you are driving with young children, you need to make confident they’re protected in the automobile.

You also need to make sure you are acting inside the law – and the law is very clear about the proper use of child seats.

Fundamentally, any youngster below the age of 12 or shorter than 135cms (about 4ft 5in) need to use an acceptable ‘child restraint’ – legalese for a vehicle seat.

Legal penalties

The driver is deemed accountable for the correct use of restraints for young children under the age of 14, and there is a £30 fixed penalty if anyone is caught flouting the law.

You could also be fined up to a £500 if the case goes to court.

Weigh up

Most folks assume the sort of seat depends on the age of the kid, but in fact it depends on the child’s w7 So it is a excellent idea to weigh the youngster just before you go purchasing for a auto seat – and adjust as and when needed as the youngster grows.

Types of seats

There are a variety of tends to make and models of car seats, and the exact specifications depend on the manufacturer. But as a rough guide…

• new parents should opt for a rear-facing infant seat, which is generally suitable for infants up to 13kg


• when the infant gets a bit larger, you will probably want to upgrade to a forward or rear-facing infant seat for a youngster among 9kg and 18kg

Attempt not to move your infant into a forward-facing seat also early as you could danger greater neck and head injuries if you are involved in a crash.

• forward-facing youngster seats are developed for kids in between 15kg and 25kg


• lastly, the booster cushion is suitable for youngsters over 22kg.

Isofix or not?

Car seats are typically described as ‘universal’ but they do not necessarily fit each and every vehicle.

It’s therefore important to verify just before you buy – and verify each car you are most likely to travel in.

You also want to believe about no matter whether your car can accommodate an Isofix seat. The Isofix system enables you to firmly fit a seat to the frame of the automobile using 2 or 3 anchor points, typically as an alternative of the seat belt.

Isofix is regular in most new automobiles, but it’s worth checking to make sure.

Comfort and protection

Most retailers will offer suggestions on car seats. Specialists also suggest you take the child or youngster with you when you get. You can then really feel confident the seat affords the correct level of protection and the infant is comfy.

Safety standards

Whichever vehicle seat you choose, it must conform to the suitable United Nations security standard, ECE Regulation 44/03 or ECE 44/04, which need to be clearly marked on a label on the seat.

Don’;t forget that a car seat is normally only suitable for a diagonal strap seat belt. You cannot match a automobile seat with a lap seat belt, unless it has been particularly developed.

Incorrect fitting

The automobile seat must come with fitting directions. Numerous retailers also offer a cost-free fitting service, although the outcomes of a current Which? survey make worrying reading for anxious parents.

How to match a Child auto seat

The consumer group visited 42 stores belonging to 6 retailers and located that only 4 fitted the seats correctly.

Worse still, numerous shops fitted the seats so badly that a youngster could be in “serious danger” in a crash, according to Which?

Don’t acquire second hand

Prices certainly differ and it can perform out high-priced to purchase car seats, specifically if you have a lot more than a single child. But in no way ever get a second hand car seat. You don’t necessarily know the history of the seat and it could have been weakened or compromised in a crash.

Also, it may not comply with modern safety standards.

Exceptions to the automobile seat rule

Do not be tempted to get into a automobile with a youngster that does not have the suitable restraint. It may possibly be convenient, but it is not protected – and it is most likely against the law.

Kids aged 3 and under have to often use a auto seat, with only one exception: if they are travelling in a licensed mini cab or taxi that does not provide appropriate restraints, they can sit on the back seat.

There’s a bit a lot more flexibility for children of 3 and older. They must put on the adult seat belt in the back seat of a mini cab or taxi that does not have kid seats.

They can also travel in the back seat with an adult belt if 2 occupied kid seats prevent the fitting of a third, or if the journey is unexpected, required and quick – in other words, not the school run.

Youngster safety

In 2010, 14 young children beneath the age of 11 had been killed in cars and 206 have been seriously injured.

You do not want your kid to be a single of the statistics, so buy, fit and use a automobile seat properly at all times and make kid security your priority.

Child auto seats – all you require to know