Car seat safety checks carried out by police in Scotland

Date: 12/7/2010

Road Safety Officers from Tayside Police have been out in force to carry out checks on child car seats.

Clinics were held in a number of supermarkets in Perth, Montrose and Dundee and in total officers inspected almost 100 restraints.

Road Safety Co-ordinator Marian Scott said they are not trying to chastise individuals, just ensure youngsters are safe when travelling.

"A child is irreplaceable and it makes perfect sense to make sure that the car seat you use to keep them safe is actually safe for them," she added.

Of the child restraints examined, 37 per cent needed adjusting to guarantee they were installed in the correct manner and five per cent were not suitable for the automobiles they were in.

However, two per cent were condemned as they had missing parts or were damaged so the owners were told they should replace them.

Last month, a study by TRL (Transport Research Laboratory) revealed spending less cash on a child seat does not necessarily mean the restraint will be of lesser quality.

Posted by Sarah Bailey