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Child Passenger Safety – Taking Care of Your Most Precious Cargo

Are you protecting your most precious cargo when you drive? Seatbelts have long been mandatory in the UK, however, it was not until recently that legislation was passed to ensure the safety of UK children when driving. On Sept 18th, 2006, new regulations became law concerning the enforced use of child car seats in the UK. The changes to child car seats were long overdue: the last time the laws were updated was back in 1993. Previously, child seats and booster seats were suggested to be used “where available”.

New Regulations to Change Old Habits

What exactly are the new rules? The regulations state that “all children travelling in an automobile must be subject to the appropriate safety restraint.” Although simple sounding, these regulations are designed to prevent a repeat of the nearly 11,000 children under the age of 11 killed or injured in car accidents in 2005.

It has been suggested that the proper use of a child restraint could have prevented a large number of these injuries and deaths. These new rules also apply for the transportation of babies – for example rear facing baby seats cannot be used in the front passenger seat when an airbag device has been activated.

While seatbelts create safety for adults, child restraints are far more capable of protecting a child’s life. Seatbelts are designed with the adult body-type in mind and are not suitable to the smaller child frame. Lawmakers have suggested that recognizing this fact and implementing the changes in child-restraint laws could prevent over 2000 child deaths each year.

How Do I Know Which Child Restraint is Legal?

An appropriate safety restraint conforms to the United Nations standard, ECE regulation 44-03. Yet in addition to this, the child must fit into the child restraint! Make sure you have found the seat most appropriate with your child’s weight and height. Don’t forget to check with the manufacturers’ instructions – it may save your child’s life.

Choose Your Child’s Seat Carefully

It is important to understand the different types of child seats and their proper usage. A child’s weight and height must be considered when choosing a child restraint. There are several different child restraints which the government has suggested to match a child’s weight/height ratio.

• Group 0 – Rearward facing child seats (for babies up to 10 kg)
• Group 1 - Forward facing child seat (for children 9-18 kg)
• Group 2 – Booster seats (for children 15-29 kg)
• Group 3 – Booster cushion (for children 22-36 kg)

Some Extra Precautions

Now that you have chosen your child’s restraint seat it is imperative to remember to make sure that the belt is worn snugly. Also, the lap belt should go over the pelvic region, not the stomach. Finally, the diagonal strap should rest over the shoulder, not the neck. If you can apply these new rules and regulations to your child’s protection, you are well on your way to protecting your most precious cargo!