P​arents warned of car seat mistake which could land them with £500 fine

Daily Record

11 hours ago

Drivers should make sure they are familiar with the rules of travelling with children.
Drivers travelling with children in the car this summer are being warned to avoid making a simple mistake which could land them with a hefty fine. While parents, grandparents and other carers have plenty to remember ahead of their road trips, many will forget - or choose to ignore for short drives - the simple car seat rules for children.
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If a child under the age of 14 is not safely secured in a vehicle or is caught using an unsuitable or incorrectly fitted car seat, the driver can be fined up to £500.
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Gerry Bucke, general manager of Adrian Flux, a specialist motor insurance broker, said: 'Children will be driven around by all sorts of people during the school holidays this summer. There's a lot to remember and pack, especially on outings, and we all know people who forget a car seat or think they'll get away without using one.
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"Boots and back seats are packed with suitcases and things for the beach and that can see people taking shortcuts with car seats so they can just get on the road and get there as quickly as possible. It's never worth taking that gamble from a safety point of view but it can also make an expensive time of the year even more costly if you're stopped and fined.'
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Rule 100 of the Highway Code states that children MUST use a child car seat until they are 12 years old or 1.35m (approximately 4ft 5in) tall, whichever comes first. Other laws that need adhering to include babies being in a rear-facing seat, a child not being placed in a seat protected by an active frontal airbag, and making sure all restraints are properly fitted according to the manufacturer's instructions.
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Any offence is likely to carry a £100 on-the-spot fine, which could be increased to £500 if a driver challenges the punishment.
Gerry added: 'ISOFIX has made using car seats a lot easier since it became mandatory in 2013 for all new cars made in the UK. But not all cars have them. So it's just about ensuring the seat is used as it should be and every step is taken to protect all passengers, especially the youngest and most vulnerable.'
There are exceptions to the law when travelling in taxis, minicabs, and Ubers, but safety experts suggest using your own car seat, where possible, for those trips.