In-car safety

Choosing and Fitting

Buying

• Choose the right restraint for your child’s height and weight. Weight is the most important factor – age should only be used as a guide.
• Try the car seat for fit in your car – or cars – you will use it in.
• Look for the official approval mark (usually the United Nations ‘E’ mark). The current UN standard is Regulation 44.03.
• Beware of second-hand seats. They could have been damaged and may not meet modern standards. The fitting instructions may also be missing.

Fitting

• The child seat must be tight in the adult seat. Push all your weight into the child seat as you tighten the belt.
• There should be no excessive forward or sideways movement.
• The seatbelt buckle should be straight when locked. It should not rest on the child car seat frame as it may snap open in an accident.
• Keep the fitting instructions in the car.
• Any doubts, ask a professional to show you how.

Airbag

• Never fit a rear facing child restraint in a seat with an active airbag in front of it.
• Forward-facing restraints should be as far back from the airbag as possible. Check the car handbook.

Seating your child

• Make sure the harness is correctly adjusted – only one or two adult fingers should fit between the child’s chest and harness.
• If you are using a booster seat or cushion, the adult seatbelt should rest on the child’s shoulder, not neck and from hip bone to hip bone.
• Never tuck the seatbelt under the child’s arm or behind the back.
• No car seat is child proof, encourage your child not to play with the buckle.