Parents Making Simple Car Seat Blunder Putting Kids at Risk
Parents and grandparents are unknowingly putting children in danger with a simple but risky car seat mistake. Safety experts from Leyland-based Child Seat Safety Ltd have warned families against wedging car seats under vehicle head restraints.
The Dangerous Mistake
Mums and carers often push the top of a car seat under the car’s head restraint, thinking it will make the seat more secure. But this could be deadly. In a crash, a child is propelled forward, and the car seat needs to move with them to protect them properly.
“Don’t wedge a car seat under a vehicle head restraint. The seat needs to go with them, to protect them. If it’s wedged in, the child will move forward without protection,” warned Child Seat Safety Ltd on Twitter.
Julie Dagnall, director of Child Seat Safety Ltd, said: “One of the most common mistakes we see when checking thousands of seats each year is parents leaving the head restraint in place or using it to hold the seat. This pushes the seat forward and stops it working properly in a collision.”
Check Your Car Seat Fit Now
Not all car seats fit all cars. Parents must consult their car handbook to adjust or remove head restraints. It’s also vital to follow the car seat manufacturer’s guidance on restraints to keep children safe.
Backless Booster Seat Rules Tightened
New rules introduced early last year ban younger children from using backless booster seats. While there’s no fine for continuing to use older backless boosters, new seats are now only approved for kids over 125cm tall and 22kg in weight.
Older backless boosters often say they’re suitable for kids as light as 15kg (around three years old), but experts warn this isn’t safe enough.
