Road safety - Fire and Rescue

Ensuring the safety of children while travelling is of utmost importance to us. Here, we present safety tips and guidance to help you protect your child in a vehicle. 

Follow the Rules 

• When driving, it’s fundamental that you follow the rules of the road and adhere to the law – keep within speed limits and stop for red lights, for example.  
• Always ensure you and all passengers are wearing seat belts and are seated correctly, including any children - the laws states that children must use a car seat until they are 12 years old or 1.35 metres tall. 
• The car seat you choose must be tested to European standards - either the latest standard R129 or R44 (this is marked on a label on the seat) 
• The seat must be suitable for the child’s height, weight, and age. 

Placement of the child seat: 

• Rear-facing seats are safest as they offer the best protection for the child. 
• Keep your child in a rear-facing seat until they are at least two years old or longer if possible. 
• Place the child seat in the back seat of the vehicle whenever possible, if a rear-facing seat is placed in the front of a vehicle, the passenger air bag MUST be turned off. 
• If a forward-facing seat is to be placed in the passenger seat of the vehicle, check with the vehicle handbook as to whether the air bag should be turned on or off. 

Installing the seat. 

• Prior to purchase, check that the seat is compatible with all vehicles into which it will be fitted, by using the manufacturers ‘Fit Finder’ or ‘Suitability List’. 
• If possible, obtain a ‘Fit Check’ from a retailer. 
• Ensure the seat is fitted exactly in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Do not add or alter anything to make the seat “more secure” as this could seriously affect the seat’s performance in the event of a collision. 
• When using an infant carrier, the ‘sunshade’ hood should be down to allow air circulation and to keep baby cool. 
• A carrying handle on an infant carrier is in fact, integral to the safety of the seat, it should be placed wherever the manufacturer advises (usually depicted in a picture on the side of the seat) and toys should not be attached to it. 

Fitting the child 

• Whether the child is secured with a harness, a shield or a seatbelt, they must be fitted in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. 
• Harnesses should be level with the child’s shoulders and pulled tight. 
• To ensure the harness is tight enough, do ‘The Pinch Test’- pinch the harness together with your thumb and index finger, if there is enough webbing to pinch together, the harness is not tight enough. If your fingers slide together the harness is tight enough, and your child is strapped in properly. 
• Some seats use a ‘shield’ to hold the child in place, rather than a harness, these are often secured by the car's seat belt, so follow the instructions carefully. 
• Seatbelts should cross the child in the same way it would an adult – the lap part placed across both hips and the diagonal part fitted across the sternum and sitting neatly on the shoulder away from the neck. 
• The child is ready to progress to the next stage when they reach the height or weight limit of the seat they are currently in. 

Clothing 

• A vehicle is classed as an indoor space - coats, hoods and thick clothing should not be worn. Thick clothing can seriously affect the way the restraint system will work in the event of a collision and could lead to the child being ejected from the seat. 

Wear and tear 

• Be careful to take good care of the car seat. Covers can usually be washed at low temperatures, but harnesses cannot – if they need cleaning follow the manufacturer’s instructions, using warm soapy water only. Do not use baby wipes, or detergents as this could affect the integrity of the webbing. 
• If a vehicle, containing a car seat is involved in a collision (whether the child is in it or not) contact the manufacturer as the car seat may need replacing – check with your vehicle insurance company to establish if the car seat is covered under their Terms and Conditions. 
• The car seat MUST be replaced if it is dropped, broken, cracked or the plastic has ‘whitened’. 
• Do not store car seats where there are major temperature fluctuations. 

Safety Education 

• Educate yourself and others, such as caregivers and family members, on the correct installation and use of child seats. 
• Share this important information with friends and relatives to ensure they are up to date on child seat safety guidelines. 
• Set good examples to your young passengers to encourage a lifelong habit of safe travelling.