Get your child car seat checked for free in Winchester on Thursday 21 October

On Thursday 21 October you can get your child car seat checked for free at Tesco in Easton Lane, Winchester, in a joint initiative organised by Hampshire County Council and Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, 10am-4pm

Car seat checks carried out during the year at various locations across Hampshire have shown that 68 percent of child car seats are fitted incorrectly, with 10 percent non-compatible with the car.

Hampshire County Council’s Executive Member for Environment, Councillor Mel Kendal said, "Nearly half of the number of children injured on our roads were the occupants of a vehicle so it is essential to ensure that child car seats are fitted correctly and in accordance with the manufacturer’s specification. We hope that as many members of the public as possible take full advantage of this free expert advice.”

Children travelling in a car and up to 135cm in height (and under 12 years old) must by law have a child seat, booster seat or booster cushion suitable for their weight and which must be approved to United Nations ECE Regulation 44.03 or later approved standards, e.g. 44.04.

Road Safety Coordinator at Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, Station Manager Clyde Evans, commented, “We welcome the opportunity to work with Hampshire County Council to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads. We hope that the help and advice given out will help to influence people to take positive action when it comes to safety in the car, particularly where children are involved.

“It is essential that parents and children are given as much safety advice as possible and we will be doing all we can to ensure that motorists realise what is expected of them.”

For more information about car seat safety and for details of the car seat check event on Thursday 21 October see the Hampshire County Council website.

Photo from Flickr by o5com