EDP24

Give children a boost

31 August 2006 09:03

Thousands of under-12s must travel in safety seats from next month or their parents will face on-the-spot fines and even court action, police have warned as new laws come into force.

Officers in Norfolk will be carrying out checks on motorists carrying children to ensure they comply with the new regulations which mean all children up to the age of 12, or up to 135cm (4ft 5in) tall, must use a booster seat. Until now, such seats have been optional and most have opted to use adult seat belts.

Safety campaigners and motorists' organisations have backed the rules which come into force next month and are aimed at cutting the number of child deaths. But retailers have reported widespread confusion among parents.

The safety devices also represent an extra cost for those already facing steep back-to-school costs, with seats ranging from £20 to more than £200.

PC Michael Edney, from Norfolk police, said: "Most parents are responsible but you still see children not strapped in or standing up - this is very dangerous.

"The fundamental message is that you need to put your seat belt on every time you travel. Your chances of surviving a serious crash when wearing a seat belt or child restraint do increase considerably and there is no doubt they do save lives."

From tomorrow, police will be carrying out an advertising and awareness campaign, and from September 18, officers will begin enforcement action.

Those not complying with the rules face fixed penalty fines of £30. This punishment may later be increased to £60, and three points on the driver's licence and a fine of up to £500 can be imposed by courts.

"We will seek to educate as well as enforce, but ultimately parents face being given a fixed penalty notice if they don't comply with the new rules," said PC Edney.

"The driver will be held legally as well as morally responsible, and such lack of thought could well have terrible consequences for those involved in any collision."

Sheila Rainger, of the RAC Foundation, said most parents were aware of the laws but were confused about exactly what was required.

"We have been receiving an awful lot of calls from very confused motorists," she said.

"These drivers know something is changing over child car seats - but beyond that they don't know where to get any information."

Shops have reported an increase in safety seat sales in recent months. Among those is John Lewis in Norwich where staff are trained in correct installation.

Nursery section manager Susan Hare-Winton said: "About 80pc of safety seats are incorrectly fitted and unless they are installed correctly, they can't do their job properly.

"We offer advice in store or after the seat has been purchased and a lot of people have been making use of that.

"Most of the parents who come in are aware of the law change but don't know exactly what it means to them and exactly what they need."

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said it was not about catching people out, but taking the next step in improving the safety of children in cars.

Road safety officer Duncan Vernon said almost 8,000 children were killed or injured in car accidents each year and the new rules should reduce that by a quarter.

In the year up to March, no children were killed on Norfolk's streets and 35 were seriously injured - this is a 61pc reduction on the previous year. It is hoped the new laws will further reduce this figure.