We have had questions from Irish parents about the new child car-seat laws that are coming into effect in the Uk which concern booster cushions.
It follows reports that new regulations see booster seats only used by children 22kg in weight or more or at least 125cm tall.
Currently, the rule is that children as little as 15kg (2.4 stone) – normally aged about 3 years are allowed travel in cars in a backless booster seat.
But experts now say that the adult seat belt isn’t put across their little body’s in the best way and such a booster seat offers little protection if the car is in a side-impact crash.
We got in touch with the Irish authorities in relation to these reports and the Road Safety Authority were happy to set us straight on this issue:
“There seems to be a review of child car-seat legislation in the UK. But this is taking place on the use of booster cushions based on proposed changes that have been put forward by the UN.
Basically, the UN proposes to raise the bar when it comes to the use ‘Booster Cushions’. The amendments mean children will need to stay in a ‘High Back Booster’ (with back and side protection) until heavier and taller than at present. To be precise they want to limit the approval of new booster cushions for use by children over 125cm in height and weighing no less than 22kg.
While this amendment was then adopted by the World Forum for Harmonisation of Vehicle Regulations this year and the UK plans to implement it there in early 2018. This is something that is way down the tracks and will not be mandatory in the EU until a new directive has been passed and governments then pass it into national legislation.
Unfortunately, these proposed amendments were misinterpreted by the UK media and have created confusion. So, we’re happy to clarify that there is no new law outlawing booster cushions being introduced in Ireland. What the law in Ireland states is that all children under 150cm and 36kg must use a child restraint appropriate for their height and weight. What you’ll find is that booster cushions are often approved for children from 15-36kg.
However, the RSA recommends, in line with best practice, that a ‘High Back Booster’ seat is used for as long as possible. They are designed to be used by children up to 36kg.
Their advantage is that they offer more support to the child’s head, neck and spine, particularly in a side impact collision. This is the likely reasoning behind the move at UN levels. They want to raise the bar so that kids stay in ‘High Backed Booster’ seats for much longer.
If you find yourself in a position where there is no other option but to use a booster cushion ideally it should only be considered after the child reaches 22kg.
While we would welcome the new amendments being proposed, because it’s going to put best practice into a legal framework, it’s worth noting that Ireland has stricter child car seat laws than the UK.
Here, children are required to use a child restraint until they have exceeded 150cm however in the UK they can use an adult seatbelt once they have exceeded 135cm.
It may seem minuscule but this extra 15cm in Ireland gives greater protection to the developing child for longer and ultimately will prevent serious injury in the event of a crash.
So to be absolutely clear, there is no law coming into Ireland in the near future about the use of booster cushions.”
Thanks for the clarification! If you know anyone who may appreciate this information please do pass it on. We have a responsibility to stay as up to date as possible with all safety information, especially when it involves our children.
