As any anxious parent who explores the facts will know, there are, in fact, relatively few things to be really anxious about – not plane crashes, not terrorist attacks and not the dangers of diseases. However, what they will also know is that one of the things all parents should be anxious about is the possibility of road traffic accident; this is because the road is one of the few areas of British life where young children still suffer relatively high rates of accidental injury, and even death.
As such, it is good to see police working so hard to encourage parents of young children to properly install child car seats. In fact, a recent spot check by Police Scotland in Edinburgh found that a truly disturbing proportion of child car seats may not be fitted correctly; of the 24 car seats inspected during their spot check, only one was fitted in line with safety instructions.
Problems they found included incorrect harness heights, so-called "buckle crunch" fittings (where seat belt buckle casings are in contact with the plastic frame of the seat) and children in clothes so thick or bulky they restricted the useful operation of car seats.
Furthermore, of those motorists stopped by police, 11 were given warnings in relation to their failure to properly secure their children.
"It's worrying that only one car seat we checked was fitted properly," commented Pc Declan Fitzpatrick, of the Edinburgh Road Policing Unit.
"I would urge parents to check the Good Egg website, read the manufacturer's instructions and speak with your car dealer. Car seats are designed to keep your children safe, but they can only do so when they are installed correctly."
For information and advice about claiming compensation for an accident to a child, contact the leading personal injury solicitor firm in Scotland, Thompsons,by clicking here.
