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Your car seat purchases are probably the most important you will make throughout the different development stages of your child. Car seat stages are divided into Groups, each group representing a weight category for your child. (Group 0 Newborn-13Kg, Group 1 9-18Kg, Group 2 15-25kg, Group 3 22-36Kg). Having the correct child seat installed correctly can reduce injuries by 90-95% in Rearward facing Group 0 seats and by 60% in forward facing seats.
A staggering 4 out of 5 child car seats are incorrectly fitted. When the Irish Road Safety Authority checked 5,000 car seats they were horrified to find that only a fifth were correctly fitted, adjusted and suitable for purpose. Most seats required major adjustment and a hundred and fifty seats were deemed dangerous and unfit for use.
Most children are carried in the car every day and it is our duty to ensure that they the most vulnerable wee members of the family are safe and secure as they travel.
What the Law says:
Drivers have a legal responsibility to ensure that all passengers under 17 are appropriately restrained in the vehicle. All children under 150cms in height or 36kgs (79lbs) in weight must use a child restraint system (CRS) suitable for their height and weight while travelling in a car or goods vehicle (other than a taxi). An example of a CRS would be a child car seat or booster cushion. Rear-facing child car seats must not be used in passenger seats protected by an active frontal airbag. An airbag which deploys (opens up) in front of a rearward-facing child car seat can cause serious injury or even death if there is a collision.
There is no law against children sitting in the front seat, as long as they are using the right child restraint for their height and weight. However, it is illegal to use a rearward-facing child car seat in a passenger seat protected by an airbag. The deployment of an airbag where a rearward–facing baby seat is in place can cause serious injury to the child or even death.
Children should always travel in the back of the car, away from active airbags and the dashboard.
What Common Sense Says:
Buy the seat from a reputable retailer who can give advice. Together you can choose a car seat that meets your own needs, your child’s age and weight and is suitable for your vehicle and your wallet. There is no shortage of choice when it comes to purchasing a child seat. Some things to note. Ensure it is to the correct EU Standard. R4403 /04 or i-SIZE (Regulation 129). A yellow or orange sticker with an ‘E’ mark and weight guidelines confirms this.
Taxi drivers are exempt from providing child seats so if you use taxis often, ensure that you have a seat which can be brought with you and fixed securely and quickly. When purchasing your car seat, try to have the car seat fitted into the car before you buy it. Ask the expert to show you how to fit the car seat. If this is not possible, you should make sure that there is an easy-to-follow instruction manual with the seat and that you fully understand it. This is where the ISOFIX international standards come into their own.
ISOFIX
This is a wonderful improvement to the world of child restraints, An International standard of built-in attachment points in the car’s structure which allows the car seat to be easily plugged into the ISOFIX system. This greatly reduces the risk of incorrectly fitting a seat. ISOFIX points are built in when the car is manufactured, and child seat manufacturers are more commonly producing child seats that suit the ISOFIX system.
But even without ISOFIX, you can be guided toward a car seat which will suit your needs. Check out our own website for a great selection of seats and please feel free to call in and discuss with our trained staff.
To Be sure … to be sure.
If you still feel that you need some reassurance that the seat you chose is the right one, fitted correctly and the best one for the job, the Road Safety Authority offer free checks of child car seats. The‘Check it Fits’ service is a free nationwide scheme which can put parents’, grandparents’ and guardians’ minds at ease by having RSA safety experts check that your child’s car seat. For more details check out their website here.
http://www.rsa.ie/en/RSA/Road-Safety/Campaigns/Current-road-safety-campaigns/No-Child-Car-Seat—No-Excuse/Check-it-Fits-Service/