Majority of children's car seats fitted incorrectly, warns Bury clinic offering 'potentially life-saving advice'

By Christopher Wosu

Bury children may be at risk after a car seat clinic revealed the majority of seats tested were not fitted correctly. 

The drop-in centre, organised by Bury Council’s Road Safety Team, offered the opportunity for parents in the area to have their child seats tested.

The team discovered that only 17 of the 53 seats inspected fitted to the correct standard, two of which had major faults.

Other errors related to problems such as the car seat being too loose, too low or the head restraint obstructing the seat.

Bury Council’s Community Road Safety Officer, Brendan Mattocks, said: "Fitting child car seats correctly can be complicated given the huge variety of seats and vehicles available.

“We always recommend buying from a retailer that will show you how to fit the car seat and let you try before you buy.

"Not all child car seats are universal."

Senior Road Safety Officer for Bury Council, Jan Brabin, added: "We understand the difficulty facing parents and carers.

“We are here to offer impartial and potentially life-saving advice.”

Top safety tips for child car seats:

Adjust the internal straps when your child changes clothes or as your child develops to ensure that they are secure.

Don't buy child restraints over the internet as you will not be shown how to fit them and they may not be suitable for your vehicle.

Don't use second-hand child car seats as they have a lifespan of approximately five years and you cannot guarantee their history.

If you are involved in a bump, crash or collision you should replace the child car seat even if no one was in the seat at the time. Some insurers will replace them for free as part of your policy.

For more information contact Bury Council Road Safety Office on 0161 253 5552 or via email roadsafety@bury.gov.uk

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