Children at risk in car collisions

25,000 CHILDREN AT RISK IN CAR COLLISIONS New research
urges action by parents and grandparents on two thirds of child car seats
not fitted correctly.

Two thirds of child car seats are not fitted correctly* and over 83%
of drivers are not aware of UK car seat legislation reveals research by
the AA** and Britax.

The research from 16,500 respondents – which included grandparents***
for the first time – found that only a quarter of all people admitted
experiencing difficulty in fitting a child car seat despite evidence that
two thirds of car seats are not fitted correctly.

Even more surprisingly, 66% of respondents stated that they didn’t know
that the law requires children up to the age of 12 to use a car seat and
80% of them were not aware that UK law requires children under the height
of 135cms to use a child seat.

The research also revealed that grandparents had even less awareness
with 74% stating that they didn’t know the age the law requires children
to use a car seat and 86% didn’t know the minimum height requirements.

UK law introduced in 2006, actually requires all children travelling
in cars to use the correct child restraint until they are either 135cms
in height or the age of 12 (whichever they reach first). This research
highlights that the law may not always be followed and with over 25,000
child passengers involved in car collisions each year the AA and Britax
urge parents and grandparents to review their child’s/grandchild’s car
safety this half term. And there is a solution – ISOFIX a standard system
developed for fitting child seats.

The idea is simple – car manufacturers provide small and inconspicuous
attachment points in standard locations in new cars which ISOFIX car seats
lock directly into reducing the risk of child seats being fitted incorrectly.
The AA estimates at least 6 million cars or approximately 25% of all cars
are fitted with standardised ISOFIX fittings.

Despite this the research revealed that 74% of drivers were not aware
of ISOFIX. “It’s shocking that despite the great safety advances in child
seat design over the past 12 years that such significant numbers of child
car seats are still fitted incorrectly,” said Edmund King, president of
the Automobile Association. “Our children and grandchildren are our most
precious cargo so we must do all we can to keep them safe and keep within
the law.” Ian Watson, Britax European managing director added: “Britax
launched ISOFIX technology in co-operation with VW in 1997 and the safety
system is designed to minimise installation errors and reduce the risk
of misuse through standardised fitting points between child seats and
a vehicle.

These fittings mean that if you’re moving your child’s car seat between
cars, for example, to a grandparent’s car, fitting is easier and there
is less chance of a car seat being fitted incorrectly.” As a result of
this research the AA has developed with Britax a range of AA approved
car seats from birth to approximately 12 years old, all of which utilise
ISOFIX.

ISOFIX technology is availabe from the babyworld
shop where you can get 5% discount as a babyworld member.

We also have a car fitting service available at our showroom nr Wallingford
and you can read all about how ISOFIX
works

Date
2nd March 2009

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* Statistic based on The Walsall Trading Standard and Road
Safety unit checked 216 child seats over 4 days and found that 32.55 were
fitted correctly (Aug/Sept 2008)

**Research conducted by the AA Populus poll in Sept 2008
of 7,971 drivers

*** Saga Populus Panel Survey conducted in December 2008
of 8,445 grandparents