East Ayrshire Council hosts car seat safety clinic

Date: 12/8/2011

Parents in East Ayrshire recently had the opportunity to ensure that the car seats they place their children in are safe.

The local authority set up free clinics at Asda in Kilmarnock and Sainsbury's in Stewarton this week, where road safety officers checked the items were not faulty, had been fitted correctly and were well suited to both the car and the child.

According to the Kilmarnock Standard, of those inspected at the Asda-based clinic, the majority did not meet the safety standards necessary, with the incorrect installation of seats listed as the most common reason.

Councillor Jim Todd told the news provider that he was "really surprised" by the results.

"We all have the best of intentions when it comes to keeping our children safe [...] but the danger of serious injury is just as great if a car seat is not fitted properly or if parents, grandparents or carers chose the wrong type of seat for the height, weight and age of the child," he warned.

TRL's (Transport Research Laboratory) Child Safety Centre runs Child Seat Check days for parents and carers in the South of England.

The results of these assessments feed into TRL's national database, which will inform the industry on how child seats are being used by the consumer.

Posted by Sarah Bailey