Free child car seat check events return across Warwickshire in September

Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership has announced a countywide, weeklong event focussing on child car seat safety. These events will help raise awareness of the importance of correctly fitted child seats to reduce avoidable child passenger casualties and supports Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership's target of a 50% reduction in road deaths and serious injuries on Warwickshire's roads by 2030.

Data from events held earlier this year showed that a higher-than-average percentage of children in Warwickshire, are not being transported safely, with 79% of child seats checked requiring some form of intervention. The most common fitting issues included adjusting or re-routing the seatbelt and harnesses, adjusting the head restraints, re-positioning the front seat, and ensuring padding is in place where needed.

The Law states children must normally use a car seat until they’re 12 years old or 135 centimetres tall, whichever comes first, and children over 12 or more than 135cm tall must wear a seatbelt. During May 2024 check events, 6 children were not using a child seat when travelling in a vehicle but legally required one as they were all under 135cm tall.

Child Seat Safety, experts in the field of car seat safety and IOSH accredited in car seat training will lead and deliver the events. With over 40 years of child seat knowledge Child Seat Safety will be available to check and adjust seats and answer questions relating to car seat safety that you may have.

Cllr Andy Crump, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Fire and Rescue and Community Safety, said: “Warwickshire’s Road Safety Partnership’s work complements that of the County Council’s Road Safety Education Team who work closely with children in schools across Warwickshire to help improve their safety on the roads.   “We can also help protect children by providing targeted education, information and advice to parents and carers and by ensuring child car seats are correctly fitted and appropriate for the height and weight of the child.   “These events are a great opportunity to get car seats checked by the experts to ensure that our roads are safer for all users."

These events are open to all Warwickshire residents, and beyond, and completely free to attend with no need to book. The venues are:

Monday 16: Asda, Rugby (12 Chapel St, Rugby CV21 3EB)

Tuesday 17: Asda, Leamington (Chesterton Dr, Sydenham, Leamington Spa CV31 1YD)

Wednesday 18: Asda, Nuneaton (Newtown Rd, Nuneaton CV11 4FL)

Thursday 19: Tesco, Stratford (Birmingham Rd, Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 0UA)

Friday 20: Tesco, Warwick (Emscote Rd, Warwick CV34 5QJ)

To find out more about these events please visit https://warksroadsafety.org/child-seat-check-events/ or email roadsafetyeducation@warwickshire.gov.uk.

To keep up to date with news on this event and Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership, please follow us on @WarksRoadSafety (X) and @WarwickshireRoadSafety (Facebook).

Find out more about the Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership online: https://warksroadsafety.org/