News

Scottish In-Car Child Safety Campaign

Over the last seven years, almost 7000 child car seats have been tested at special car clinics throughout the country and over half (51%) were either incorrectly fitted or incompatible with the child or make or model of the car they were being used in.

If sitting in the right type of seat and correctly restrained, a child is ninety percent less likely to be killed in a collision. 

However an unrestrained child can be killed or seriously injured in an impact at speeds as low as 5mph. In a collision at 30mph, an unrestrained child would hit the front seat - and anyone sitting in it – with a force of between 30 to 60 times their own bodyweight.

For the ninth consecutive year,  the ‘Scottish Good Egg In-Car Child Safety’ campaign encourages local residents to attend child car seat clinics which will be taking place, to give practical assistance and advice to parents and to reduce the number of incorrectly fitted child car seats.

These free safety events are taking place in every local authority area in Scotland.

The ‘Good Egg Guide to In-Car Child Safety’ provides information on how to fit a child seat, choosing the right seat, the law and your responsibilities. It offers practical advice and highlights areas where improvements could be made to in-car child safety and to help reduce the number of child passenger casualties.

Michael McDonnell said, "The statistics are extremely worrying because they show that many of the car seats being used by parents are not as safe as one would hope.

"That is why we are backing this campaign and why we would urge parents to carefully read the publicity material being distributed and to also take advantage of the free car seat clinics that have been organised.

"These checks will only take a few moments and they could save your child from very serious injury." 

To download the Good Egg Guide or for further information, visit www.stv.tv/childsafety and www.protectchild.co.uk