Almost two-thirds of child seats not fitted correctly, says research

A large number of children could be unsafe while travelling in a car, according to new research by consumer motoring publication What Car?.

As part of a check commissioned by the publication and carried out by specialist Child Seat Safety, it was found that 36 per cent of child car seats are incorrectly fitted and 33 per cent were unsuitable for the children that they were carrying.

Under UK law, children must ride in a child seat until they’re 12 years old or 135cm tall, whichever comes first. These must be rear-facing until the child is at least 15 months old – but it’s recommended that rear-facing seats are used for as long as possible, to minimise neck injuries in the event of a crash.

What Car? found that 41 per cent of issues with fitting merely required re-routing the seatbelt, while an additional 30 per cent simply required the headrest to be adjusted. Both are simple issues which despite being easy to fix can have major effects in the event of a crash.

The publication’s research found a divide in the types of seat used – with those who had purchased large, shield-style seats around 30 per cent more likely to have restrained their child correctly compared to those who bought harness-style seats.

Quick-install ISOFIX seats were also less likely to be installed incorrectly – 79 per cent of these were correctly fitted, compared to just 52 per cent of belted child seats.

What Car? recommends a series of checks to ensure seats are appropriate for the child. They include ensuring the seat is the right size for the child’s height and weight, checking the seatbelt securing it isn’t twisted, routing the harness back into place after adjusting for growth, placing carry handles into the stowed position, and regularly checking the seat all over for wear and tear.

Claire Evans, What Car? consumer editor, said: “Ensuring a child is seated safely is vital for all parents but often many don’t realise the mistakes they are making. Taking simple steps such as checking the seatbelt is fitted tightly enough around the seat and making sure the seat is the right size for the child can go a long way to improving children’s safety.

“We recommend anyone who transports children in car seats to seek expert fitting advice and ensure they try the seat in their car, ideally with their child in it, before they buy it.”