Complacency around the issue of car safety has been blamed for a sharp rise in the number of child deaths and injuries on Britain’s roads.
New figures show that the number of children who were killed or seriously injured in the UK last year rose for the first time in 20 years by 3%, to 2,060.
Experts have warned that many of the casualties could have been avoided had parents secured their child in their car seat before beginning their journey.
Last year, a terrifying Which? survey revealed that parents were not getting the best advice on fitting child car seats at the purchasing stage. In fact, at one council fitting clinic, all of the seats bought online were wrong for the car, wrong for the child or wrongly fitted.
Commenting on the figures, AA president Edmund King said: “They indicate a clear rise in in-car child casualties. There is anecdotal evidence to suggest this could be linked to the failure of parents to properly fit their children’s child seats.”
For information on how to fit your child’s car seat, visit the Road Safety Authority website.
