Child car seats

Woman and a child in a car safety seat

Important: New Child Seat Law

Since the 18th of September 2006 drivers must now make sure that with very few exceptions children up to 4' 5" (135cm) in height use the relevant child car seats or boosters in cars, vans and other goods vehicles.

There will be a £30 fixed penalty for not using a child restraint or seatbelt.

Download a copy of the leaflet explaining the new legislation (Adobe PDF format, 501kb).

Seat belt/Child restraint wearing requirements from 18th September 2006

	Front Seat	Rear Seat	Who is responsible
Driver	Seat belt must be worn		Driver
Child up to 3 years	Correct child restraint must be used	Correct child restraint must be used. If one is not available in a taxi they may travel unrestrained.	Driver
Child 3 years to 135 cms in height (or 12th birthday, whichever they reach first)	Correct child restraint must be used	Correct child restraint must be used where seat belts fitted. Must use adult belt in the rear seat if- -in a taxi and child restraint is not available -for a short distance where there is an emergency or unexpected necessity and a correct child restraint is not available. -two occupied child restraints preventing fitting of a third	Driver
Child over 135 cms or 12 to 13 years		Seat belt must be worn if fitted	Driver
Adult passengers (14 years or over)		Seat belt must be worn if fitted	Passenger

What are "Child Restraints"? "Child restraints" is the collective term for:

	Seat Facing	Weight and age	Typical examples
Baby seats Group 0 or 0+ Do not use with an active passenger airbag.	rear-facing	up to 13 kgs (approx birth to 9-12 months)
Child seats Group 1 Do not move up to booster seat until child exceeds weight or top of head extends above seat.	forward facing	9-18 kgs (approx 9 months to 4 years)
Booster seats Group 2 Some booster seats can be converted into booster cushions by detaching the back rest		15kgs and up (approx age 4- 6 years)
Booster cushions Group 3 Children are not small adults. They still need boosters until they are big enough to graduate to adult belts.		from 22 kgs (approx 6 to 11 years)

Tips

Choose the right seat for your child's height and weight - the label on the seat should help you.
Try it for fit in the car, or cars you will use it in
Ensure that the seatbelt buckle does not rest against the body of the child seat.
Look for the official approval mark UN ECE 44.03
Never buy a second hand child seat - parts might be missing or it may have been damaged in a crash
Never fit a rear-facing child restraint in a car seat with an active airbag
If in doubt contact our office or call in at your local retailer.

Download a copy of "Loose in the car" mistakes adults make carrying children. (Adobe PDF format, 352kb)

For a free guide to child car seats, contact the Road Safety Unit on 0161 779 4863.

This page was last updated on 4 October 2009