New child car restraint laws come into force
New child car restraint laws, which could save up to 2,000 children’s lives a year, has come into force today.
Parents will now have to make sure that with very few exceptions, children up to 135cm in height use the relevant child car seats or boosters in cars, vans and other goods vehicles.
Warwickshire County Council’s Road Safety Unit and Coventry City Council are working together in conjunction with the Police and the Department for Transport to ensure that parents are aware of the changes and understand the new legislation.
The changes mean that:
· All children under 3 years old must use the correct child seat when travelling an any car or goods vehicle (except in the rear of a taxi if a child seat is not available)
· Children aged 3 years and under 12 and over must use the correct child seat/booster/cushion when travelling in cars or goods vehicles until they reach 135cm.
· Taller children and all those aged 12 and over need to use adult belts
· Rear-facing baby seats must not be used in seats with an active frontal air-bag
· In mini-buses, buses and coaches, seated passengers aged 14 years and above must use seat belts where they are fitted. Further regulations will be made soon regarding children under 14 years to use seat belts in these vehicles
There are some specific practical exemptions – for taxis, emergency vehicles and (for children aged 3 and over) journeys over a short distance in an unexpected necessity.
Stan Milewski, Senior Road Safety Officer at Warwickshire County Council said: “Children are not small adults – they are proportioned very differently. By making sure child seats/boosters are used until children are 135cm in height will not only mean they are properly secured for their own safety but for the safety of others in the car too. Parents should not be tempted to use an adult seat belt before a child is tall enough.”
Councillor Mohammed Asif, Ward Councillor Foleshill, on behalf of Coventry City Council, added: "The change in the law is necessary as there are still far too many children being injured as car occupants on our roads nationally. In 2005, on Coventry’s roads alone, 45 children aged 0-15 were hurt as passengers in vehicles. Everyone knows that seat belts save lives but it’s also important to make sure that they fit across the body properly, which is why parents need to make sure that they are using the appropriate restraints for the age or weight of their children."
For a free information leaflet on the new legislation, please telephone 01926 412253, 024 7683 2007 or visit http://www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk.