Children under 12 years old must be seated in a child safety seat when travelling in the car, unless they are 135cm tall (approximately 4ft 5ins) or over. Children over 135cms in height must wear the adult seatbelt.
Safety checklist
- buying and fitting a child safety seat
Check your child's weight before choosing a child seat. Car seats are tested and classified by weight so it is important that the weight of your child is within the limits set for a particular seat by the manufacturer. The child's age is only a guide as children of similar ages can have widely differing builds. If possible let your child sit in the seat to check the fit before you buy.
Child car safety seats vary in terms of their size and design. It is important to choose a seat that will fit safely in your particular car. Try fitting the seat before you buy, if it is a combination seat make sure you fit the seat in both the rearward and forward facing modes.
Always fit the seat precisely according to the manufacturers instructions. If you can't do this, you have got the wrong seat. Adjust the harness inside the seat to allow for what the child is wearing each time the child travels. There should only be enough room to slip two fingers flat between the child's chest and the harness to ensure a safe fit. Make sure the harness is positioned at the correct level for your child's shoulder height.
Check your child seat regularly. If there is any sign of damage, loose parts or cuts or fraying to the harness webbing, replace the seat. If a child seat is involved in an accident, even if their is no visible damage to the seat it should be destroyed and replaced.
Do not purchase a second hand seat unless you are sure of its history. Make sure that you have a copy of the fitting instructions, and have checked to make sure that the seat and all the parts are positioned correctly according to the fitting instructions.
Common fitting problems
The seat belt may be too short to go around the infant carrier/child seat. Firstly in the front seat, ensure the seat is a far back as possible this will create more seat belt length. Alternatively fit new seat belts or choose an alternative child seat which needs a much shorter webbing length.
Sculptured upholstery
Some car seats are curved upwards at the edges to make the ride more comfortable for an adult passenger. This means that when the child seat is in position it rocks from side to side instead of sitting firmly in place. Although this seems quite worrying, the seats effectiveness in a frontal impact should not be affected. There may be some adverse effects in a side impact but the child is still much safer than if unrestrained.
Solution
- Use a centre lap belt or a fitting kit.
Offset anchorage points
Some mounting points for rear seat belts are positioned over the wheel arch rather than at the back of the seat. This means that when the belt is threaded through the back of the child seat it does not lie tightly against the frame, allowing considerable forward movement.
Solution
- Use a centre lap belt or a fitting kit
Buckle crunching
When the seat belt is threaded through the child seat frame it is important that the buckle does not lie across any part of the frame and edge or tubular component. If the seat belt cannot be adjusted so that only the seat belt webbing lies against an edge of the frame the child seat will not be safely restrained. The seat belt buckle could come apart or distort in an accident.
Solution
- Try a different seating position in the car or use a fitting kit. Fitting kits are designed by the manufacturer to be used with specific seats. Check to see if your particular child seat can be fitted with a kit, and make sure you buy the correct one.