Child car seats under scrutiny (From Penarth Times)

Child car seats under scrutiny

PENARTH child deaths could be slashed thanks to a major new initiative launched by the local authority.

The council have introduced an 'In-car Child Safety Campaign' aimed at reducing fatalities as a result of poorly-fitted child seats

As part of the project, road safety and trading standards teams spent last week raising awareness of the dangers associated with children travelling dangerously.

Last Thursday they spent the day checking child seats in Morrison's car park.

The 'Car Seat Clinic' was totally free and took minutes to complete. Parents and grandparents were also invited to take their children along to see if they still fit their seats or if they needed the next size up.

The event was the second phase of the project. It followed the new 'Smart Fitter' scheme, run by the Vale and Cardiff trading standards and road safety teams. This highlighted the dangers to retailers in Cardiff and the Vale and gave them the knowledge and training to help parents choose the right child seat for their car.

Consumer protection officer, Rebecca Hinton, told the Times: "Of all the seats we tested on Thursday, not one was properly fitted. It came as a surprise to many people, who had received advice from the retailer. A car seat not correctly secured is as dangerous as having your child unrestrained in the car."

She added: "It was disappointing so many people drove past our clinic without sparing the few minutes to check. It could save their child's life."

More testing days will be held and information leaflets will be distributed freely, via car retailers, midwives, health centres and council offices. For more information contact Rebecca Hinton, in trading standards on 01446 709105, or Mike Dacey in the road safety unit, on 01446 704774