Parents are lacking confidence and knowledge when it comes to child car seats, according to research conducted by Co-op Insurance.
Four out of five parents (81 percent) surveyed said that information about car seats needs to be made more accessible and widely available.
Two in five admitting they felt ill-informed about the laws surrounding the fitment and position of the seats.
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The main confusion appears to be concerning the maximum age a child needs to be before they don’t need a seat – children must use a car seat until they aged 12, or 135cm tall, whichever comes first.
Until then, the law states that parents must choose a car seat based on the child’s height or weight.
Nick Ansley, head of motor insurance at Co-op, said: “When it comes to car seats, parents of children all ages are clearly confused by how to best keep their children safe in the car.
“We not only want to bring attention to this, but want to help parents become better informed and equipped to be the safest they can be on the road, especially when they have precious cargo in tow.”
Reasons why parents don’t understand/feel fully informed about child car seats:
- The maximum age a child needs to be before they don’t need a seat – 16 percent of parents
- The different car seat groupings (1,2,3) mean – 15 percent
- What i-size means – 14 percent
- If a child has to be a certain age and weight before they no longer need a seat – 12 percent
- Whether or not a child should use a car seat on public transport – 10 percent
- Whether or not a child should use a car seat in a taxi – 10 percent
- How long a child needs to be in a rear-facing seat for – 9 percent
Co-op has created a guide for parents to use when purchasing a car, with a section dedicated to car seats.
For information on child car seat laws in the UK, visit the government website.
