Car Seats and Travel Safety

The law requires that your baby and child be restrained in your vehicle using the correct child restraint. These laws save the lives of many children each year so it is important we know how to travel safely with our children.

There are various groups of child seat/booster and each one is briefly described below.

Group 0
From birth to 9kg (approx 9 months) an infant rear-facing seat is required. These are often supplied with a carry handle to allow the baby to be carried to and from the vehicle without un-strapping them. This seat uses a harness to restrain the baby.

A company called Jane provide an infant car seat that allows the baby to lay flat across the rear seat in the vehicle; this product is called the matrix seat.

Group I
These seats are for babies from 9kg to 18kg (approx 9 months to 4 years). These seats are forward facing and use a harness system as in group 0 seats.

Group II
These seats are booster seats that utilise the vehicle’s 3-point seat belt to restrain the child. These seats are for children from 15kg to 25kg (approx 4 to 6 years). These seats may or may not have backs.

Group III
These are booster seats to raise the child to the correct height to use the vehicle’s 3-point seat belt. These seats are recommended for children of approximately 6 years and over or 22kg to 36kg.

It is recommended that you purchase a new child restraint where possible. If you do decide to buy a second hand seat then be sure it fits your vehicle correctly and has not been involved in a crash.

Many retailers provide a fitting service to show you how to correctly fit the restraint in your car. It is always best to try the seat in your car before you purchase as not all seats fit all cars.

Many new cars are now fitted with ISOFIX fittings, these allow easy fitment of car seats in a vehicle and also prevent the seat from being fitted incorrectly. Only seats specified as ISOFIX will attach to a car’s ISOFIX fittings.

Ensure the child locks on your rear doors are activated to prevent your child accidentally opening a door.

A new law was passed in September 2006 stating that a child seat/booster must be used for all children under 12 years of age who are less than 135cm in height (approx 4ft 5inches).

There are of course exceptions to the rule of which the following 2 are the most useful to know -

In a licensed taxi or private hire vehicle:

A child under 3 may travel unrestrained in the rear of the vehicle.

A child aged 3 years and over must use the adult belt in the rear only.

Unexpected necessity journeys of a short distance:

No exemption for a child under 3.

A child aged 3 years and over may use an adult belt in the rear of the vehicle.

Here are some other helpful answers to possible questions on this subject –

Children in forward facing child seats may travel in the front of a vehicle, always check your car handbook to see if there is any advice from the manufacturer regarding frontal air-bags. Move the seat as far back as possible to move the child away from the air-bag.

Never travel with a child on your lap.

Never use a rear-facing baby seat in a seat protected with an active frontal air-bag.

If you have a classic car with no seat belts then a child aged 3 or over may travel in the rear un-restrained. A child under 3 may not travel in the vehicle.

A child 3 and over may travel unrestrained in the rear of a camper van if no seat belts are fitted. If seat belts are fitted then a child restraint must be used.

What do you think?
Login or Register to add a comment or ask a question.