£30 Penalty For Not Following New Child Seat Regulations.
Spring is in the air and that means more road trips being planned. With this in mind, you need to be aware that on 18 September 2006 new regulations governing the use of child car seats came into force. This affects every parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, childcare provider or anyone carrying children in their car. The purpose is to make car journeys as safe as possible and to help reduce the injuries sustained in motor vehicle accidents which, of course, may make the job a little easier for those carrying out First Aid.
1993 was the last time these regulations were reviewed. At the time, there were few rear seatbelts and the rules were to “use child seats and boosters if they are available”.
All new cars and the vast majority of older cars now have rear seat belts and drivers should always be using child seats and boosters as this puts the young passenger in the correct position to benefit from the adult seat belt properly. Thus reducing the risk of injury and need for your First Aid skills to be put into practice!
The new regulations mean that you must not carry a child without a booster seat if they are less than 135cms tall – and the driver is responsible for ensuring these new safety rules are carried out. So if you try to use the defence “I didn’t know” or "my child thinks booster seats aren't cool", you’ll soon find that you are defending yourself against a case of negligence not just a breach of safety rules. There is a £30 penalty for not following the regulations.
For passengers over 150cm (just under 5') tall, with an adult bone structure, then Adult seat belts must be worn throughout the journey.Your own children may already be over the required 135cms in height, but if you carry other people’s children who are less than 135cms (on school runs, days out or holidays for example), then the regulations will still apply.When giving a young passenger a lift, (and they are less than 135cms), ask their parents if they have a suitable booster seat that you can borrow?
Fitting Booster Seats:
To avoid injury, a booster seat should be fitted correctly. Check these points:
1. Ensure it is properly secure – A Leading Magazine has recently published an article regarding a survey they carried out. The result? Over 60% of child seats are ill fitted, causing danger to the child.
2. Check that the child comfortable - being uncomfortable could be a sign that the seat and strap are incorrectly fitted.
3. Check that the seat belt is properly adjusted - so that the belt runs across the body and shoulder and does not get caught on the child's neck.
4. Ensure that all passenger belts are in place BEFORE you start the engine, regardless of how old your passengers are. It’s good discipline and creates good safety habits.
The whole purpose of this change in the law is to increase the chances of survival in a motor vehicle accident. Seat belts do cause injuries in a collision (sometimes), but not as severe as the injuries of a passenger who isn’t wearing a seatbelt. If you want to know more about what First Aid to give in a motor vehicle collision, you will soon be able to download the audio onto your MP3 from www.optimum-training.com
1993 was the last time these regulations were reviewed. At the time, there were few rear seatbelts and the rules were to “use child seats and boosters if they are available”.
All new cars and the vast majority of older cars now have rear seat belts and drivers should always be using child seats and boosters as this puts the young passenger in the correct position to benefit from the adult seat belt properly. Thus reducing the risk of injury and need for your First Aid skills to be put into practice!
The new regulations mean that you must not carry a child without a booster seat if they are less than 135cms tall – and the driver is responsible for ensuring these new safety rules are carried out. So if you try to use the defence “I didn’t know” or "my child thinks booster seats aren't cool", you’ll soon find that you are defending yourself against a case of negligence not just a breach of safety rules. There is a £30 penalty for not following the regulations.
For passengers over 150cm (just under 5') tall, with an adult bone structure, then Adult seat belts must be worn throughout the journey.Your own children may already be over the required 135cms in height, but if you carry other people’s children who are less than 135cms (on school runs, days out or holidays for example), then the regulations will still apply.When giving a young passenger a lift, (and they are less than 135cms), ask their parents if they have a suitable booster seat that you can borrow?
Fitting Booster Seats:
To avoid injury, a booster seat should be fitted correctly. Check these points:
1. Ensure it is properly secure – A Leading Magazine has recently published an article regarding a survey they carried out. The result? Over 60% of child seats are ill fitted, causing danger to the child.
2. Check that the child comfortable - being uncomfortable could be a sign that the seat and strap are incorrectly fitted.
3. Check that the seat belt is properly adjusted - so that the belt runs across the body and shoulder and does not get caught on the child's neck.
4. Ensure that all passenger belts are in place BEFORE you start the engine, regardless of how old your passengers are. It’s good discipline and creates good safety habits.
The whole purpose of this change in the law is to increase the chances of survival in a motor vehicle accident. Seat belts do cause injuries in a collision (sometimes), but not as severe as the injuries of a passenger who isn’t wearing a seatbelt. If you want to know more about what First Aid to give in a motor vehicle collision, you will soon be able to download the audio onto your MP3 from www.optimum-training.com
posted by AmandaClarke at
8:23 AM
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