Advice to parents over incorrectly fitted child restraints

Casualty reduction officer Dave Godley showing how to check if a seat is secure

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Parents and carers are advised to get a free check to make sure their child’s car restraint is fitted correctly.

During a recent visit to Sandbrook Children’s Centre and the baby drop-in clinic at the medical centre, in Kirkholt, when Rochdale Council casualty reduction officers Stuart Howarth and Dave Godley spoke to parents about the correct use of child restraints and how to fit child seats, they discovered that most of the devices were fitted incorrectly.

After explaining how statistics show a properly restrained child is three times less likely to sustain a head injury in a crash than an unrestrained child they helped parents and cares to fit the restraints properly.

Councillor Jacqui Beswick, Cabinet Member for Place and Regulation, said: “As a council we want to keep all our residents as safe as possible and that includes the youngest members of our community. Giving parents this free car safety advice will hopefully ensure children won’t come to any harm in the event they are involved in a car accident.”

Casualty reduction officer Stuart Howarth said a particular problem was an increase in incorrectly fitted infant carriers, with at least four cars the team looked at having the lap belt behind the restraint and the chest belt across the lap part of the restraint.

He added that when he visited the centre, there were more child seats fitted incorrectly than correctly and that this was reflected at most places the team attend. The majority only needed slight alteration but there were a few which had been fitted wrongly and would have offered no protection if the vehicle had been involved I collision.

If you are not sure about your own child restraint and would like some advice on how to fit it or are thinking of buying a seat for your child and not sure what to look for, contact the Casualty Reduction Team:

road.safety@rochdale.gov.uk
01706 924605