Bid to improve safety of children in cars

The Road Safety team (left to right) with their certificates are Stuart Howarth, Wendy Andrew, Jacqui Hogg and Dave Godley

Road Safety officers from Rochdale Borough Council are currently visiting Sure Start Children’s Centres and private day nurseries around the borough to help ensure that child car seats are correctly fitted.

Deaths on the road make up the biggest proportion of child deaths in the UK. And although child car seats are designed to prevent injury, a recent report by consumer group Which found that more than 70% of the seats were installed incorrectly.

All four members of the council’s Road Safety team recently gained the Child Seat Safety Awareness qualification from the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health.

Julie Dagnall, of Child Seat Safety Ltd who provided the course, said: “We are really pleased that the team members have gained the qualification. It is vitally important that anyone who gives advice on child car seats has a high level of knowledge and can confidently know the information they give is correct. They all worked hard to achieve this standard.”

Councillor Jacqueline Beswick, Cabinet Member for Highways at Rochdale Borough Council, said “More often than not a child seat is fitted into a vehicle from new and then left there, but even after just two journeys the seat can become unstable and present a greater danger in a crash. On most occasions it only requires a simple tug on the seatbelt to adjust and refit it correctly.”

The Road Safety team are currently visiting children’s centres, private day nurseries and anywhere else where their services are required. In addition to checking that child seats are fitted correctly they are also giving parents and carers tips on how to keep them fitted safely.

If anyone would like their child seat checked please email the team at road.safety@rochdale.gov.uk or call 01706 924605 to arrange an appointment.