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.
The Road Safety Authority is to provide 3 free clinics in the county where drivers can attend a child car seat checking service – Check it Fits.
The clinics are to be held in Aldi Clonmel November 14th, Tesco, Tipperary town on November 15th and Tesco, Cashel November 16th.
The service takes between 10-15 minutes and runs from 10.00am – 5.30pm, at each clinic. The service is free of charge and offers parents and guardians reassurance that their child is safe while travelling in the car. It is a walk-in service, no appointment needed.
Check it Fits service shows that half of child car seats are fitted incorrectly, for example, the seat being excessively loose so as to make the fitting almost ineffective. 67% were minor adjustments, for example, the fitting being loose or a twisted seatbelt. Having a correctly fitted car seat is a simple measure parents, grandparents and guardians can take to ensure children are safe while travelling by car.
Further information is available on the website www.rsa.ie/checkitfits
