56% of child car seats are incorrectly fitted according to the Road Safety Authority

If we’re being honest, leaving the house with little ones in tow can sometimes turn into an Olympic sport, right? Once they’re safely strapped into their car seats happily entertained by the many snacks you’ve packed, it can feel like the worst is over. However, according to a new study by the Road Safety Authority, this might not be the case.

The study showed that over half of child car seats (56%) checked by the Road Safety Authority’s Check it Fits service were incorrectly fitted and needed some type of adjustment to make them a safe fit. If a child’s car seat isn’t fitted correctly, it could lead to a serious or fatal injury in the event of a collision.

In order to increase awareness of car seat safety and reduce misuse rates, the RSA has launched a new voluntary Code of Practice for Child Car Seat retailers. The new Code of Practice will ensure that best practice is achieved when parents or guardians are buying a child restraint system. 

This in turn means that when buying a new child car seat, families can be confident that they are getting the best advice and guidance on the most suitable car seat for their child and car.

To date, 15 child car seat retailers have committed to the new Code of Practice, covering 40 stores nationwide. Three child car seat manufacturers are signed up, with interest from another three. People should look out for the RSA’s Code of Practice stickers in retailer outlets or you can check the list of participating retailers on rsa.ie.

Parents get the reassurance that what they are buying will keep their child safe and for the retailer it’s a unique selling point for your business. Most importantly of all, it's going to save lives and prevent injuries on our journey to Vision Zero where we eliminate all deaths and injuries by 2050.

To find out what retailers are signed up to the Code of Practice, visit RSA.ie or keep an eye out for the Code of Practice sticker in retail stores.

The RSA are also delighted to announce that their face-to-face child car seat checking service – Check it Fits – will be back on the road visiting locations around the country after a two-year absence due to the Covid 19 pandemic. The service will return in March and people are advised to check the RSA website for updates and details on locations that we will be visiting.

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