Vehicle History expert Cartell.ie are happy to promote the following infographic provided to us by WoodStock Motors concerning child-seat safety: this is a particularly important issue. The Road Safety Authority (RSA) say 3 in 4 child seats are incorrectly fitted in Ireland. They have a “Check it Fits” service to assist with this exact issue.

Readers are reminded of the law from the RSA website:

All children must travel in a child seat, booster seat or booster cushion. It’s the drivers’ responsibility make sure their passengers are using seat belts and appropriate child restraints.

It is always safer for a child to travel in the back seat but where this is not possible, the biggest and strongest could be chosen to travel in the front. Once the child is in the appropriate child restraint for their height and weight, they are permitted to travel in the front of a vehicle.

A rearward-facing child car seat should never be used in the front of a vehicle where there is an active airbag. When the child car seat is forward facing, the airbag may be active. However, for rearward and forward facing child car seats, the adult seat itself should be rolled back as far away from the dashboard (deployment zone of the airbag) to avoid any potential injury during deployment. A child, even in a car seat, does not adopt the same position as an adult in the front seat, for which an airbag is designed for so care should be taken in deciding to travel a child in the front seat.” (RSA)