‘Confusing’ child car seat rules putting children at risk - with nearly half of parents admitting their infant doesn’t always use one
Millions of UK children may be in incorrect car seats, increasing the risk of injury in a crash, according to new figures released today. The research found that half of parents (50%) agree that the rules related to child seats are causing confusion, resulting in many not always following the laws and guidelines.
The research, from leading motoring retailer Halfords, found that the situation could become worse in the coming months as families go on holiday. Despite most airlines allowing parents to take a car seat with them free of charge, a quarter of parents admit that when on holiday they are much less likely to use a car seat for their child (25%).
Key areas causing confusion:
While a lot of parents begin their car seat journey with diligence and caution, many start the journey unsure of the correct safety requirements they should follow. A quarter of parents admit to holding their baby in their arms in the car home from the hospital (25%) and a further 17% say they travelled with their baby fitted in a forward-facing child seat, indicating that many parents are not receiving sufficient support in the run up to birth.
Child seats are a legal requirement until a child is 12 years old or 135cm tall (whichever comes first). However, fewer than three in ten parents in the survey knew this (28%). And furthermore, parents have to contend with changing rules as children grow.
One area causing confusion is whether children should be rear or forward facing. As such, 16% of parents in the research with infants under 15 months say they usually travel with their child facing forward - something which is illegal.
Similarly, 16% say their infant’s car seat is in the front seat - something which is not illegal but strongly recommended against. Perhaps most worryingly, 3% say their infant does not use a child seat at all, and is usually ‘held’ by an adult.
When asked whether they knew it was illegal for their infant to travel forward-facing in a car, the majority of parents were unaware (75%). Nor were a similar amount aware that travelling with an infant not fitted in a car seat is illegal too (80%).
More widely, nearly half of parents who have children under the age of 12 and under 135cm say their child does not ‘always’ use a child seat (42%). When asked why, the key reasons were ‘confusion around the rules’ (21%), not replacing a seat that has been outgrown (32%) and assumptions that it’s safer to sit on a parents lap (26%), it’s not necessary (25%), or practical (22%) - for example if you need to take a taxi ride.
It becomes even more confusing abroad
Many parents have reported a more relaxed approach to child seats while abroad, indeed a quarter of which say they are less likely to use a car seat when abroad in comparison to the UK. This is due to lower availability of child seats while abroad, forcing parents to not use them (38%), finding it difficult to travel with one (33%), and being unclear about what the rules are when in a different country (24%).
As such, a worrying amount of parents admit to having to hold their babies in their arms on airport transfer or taxi journeys (22%), even though they do not dare to do this at home.
However, most airlines allow car seats to be brought at no extra charge – something many families aren’t aware of.
Halfords CEO, Henry Birch said: “Car seats are vital for child safety in the event of a crash. Seat belts alone do not offer suitable protection for children. But this isn’t about catching parents out – we know the vast majority want to do the right thing, but they’re overwhelmed by confusing laws and mixed messages. Our job at Halfords is to make car seat safety simple, not scary – so parents feel confident every step of the way, not just at the newborn stage.”
"We offer a fitting demonstration service, so parents can get bespoke advice to make the best decision for their child. For those that can’t make it in-store, we’ve also got a comprehensive list of easy-to-follow guidance on our website.”
Halfords was the first national retailer to offer a free car seat fitting demonstration and still leads the way today. When a car seat is purchased from Halfords, one of its fully trained fitters can demonstrate how to correctly fit it in the vehicle.
Meanwhile in store experts are on-hard to offer parents advice about the best seat for their child. To help parents understand their iSize from their ISOFIX, Halfords has created an online buyers guide offering parents all they need to know - from an overview of the current rules and guidance, to how to choose the right size and type of seat.