Why do I need to put my child in a car seat?

Firstly, it is a legal requirement that children up to the age of three when travelling in cars, vans and goods vehicles must use the correct child restraint in both the front and the rear of the vehicle.

In the front of the vehicle:

• Children from three years old up to 135cm/4'5" tall (or had their 12th birthday - whichever they reach first) must use the correct restraint for their weight and size. The correct restraint being a child car seat or a booster seat.
• It is illegal to use a rear facing child car seat (infant carrier) in the front of a vehicle protected by a frontal airbag, unless it has been manually or electronically de-activated. However, before doing so it is important to check with your insurance company, as this may invalidate your policy. We strongly advise that even if the airbag is de-activated, you use the back of the car, as there is still a potential risk that the airbag will go off.

In the rear of the vehicle:

• Children from three years up to 135cm must use the correct restraint. If there are no seat belts fitted, children of this size can sit in the rear unrestrained

For more information, see our section on child car seats and the law

Modern cars offer better protection these days because of stiffer bodies. This however means that in a crash the occupants absorb more of the impact. Whilst this may be okay for adults, it is not for children. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA), states, "it should go without saying that your child should use the child seat for every single journey, no matter how short." Yet 1/10 children do not use a seatbelt or appropriate child restraints. So here are some facts to remind you to use the appropriate child seat:

• In a crash at only 30mph a child would be thrown forward with a force of 30-60xs their body weight.

• If you hold a child on your lap in a crash you will either crush them with your own weight or they will be torn from you arms.

• Never put a seatbelt to be around both yourself and your child/children.

• According to the Department for Transport 179 children were killed in road accidents in 2002

• A massive 4,417 children were seriously injured.

• In 2003, 15 babies and toddlers died in car accidents and another 173 were seriously injured.

<< back to main car seat menu

<< back to 'how to choose' homepage

<< back to shop

X close window