Warning for Child Car Seat Users

Families have been urged to ensure car seats are installed properly after a spot check in Kirkcaldy showed three quarters had been fitted incorrectly. 

A pull-over clinic, carried out by Fife Community Safety Partnership, found that of 13 child car seats checked within ten cars, only three seats did not need a correction.

Some seats required only minor adjustments, such as a tighter seat belt, but others needed more substantial fixes and one was incompatible for its user. 

A recent investigation by the BBC’s Watchdog programme showed that 90% of fittings by five of the biggest high street retailers were wrong.

Gill Kelly, Fife road safety organiser, said: “The safest way for children to travel in cars is in a child car seat that is suitable for their weight and size, and is correctly fitted in the car.

"A properly fitted child car seat will help to prevent your child from being thrown about inside the vehicle, or ejected from it, if there is a crash. It will also absorb some of the impact force.

"Our spot checks are designed to offer advice and education to anyone using a child car seat, and we urge everyone with a child car seat to check that it is fitted correctly and is suitable for their child’s age, weight and height.

"We have staff available across Fife who are RoSPA trained, who can check seats, make adjustments and offer advice, free of charge."

Safety checks can be arranged by emailing roadsafety.education@fife.gov.uk.

Fife Cares service offer free in-car child safety checks for families with children under five.