Seatbelts and child restraints
Seatbelts and child restraints
Seatbelts save lives.
Since 1983, when it became the law to wear seatbelts, the number of casualties in accidents has been significantly reduced.
- The chance of dying in a crash in rear seats is three times higher if seatbelts are not used.
- Drivers die in crashes each year after being struck by unrestrained rear seat passengers.
The Law
- By law, drivers and passengers must use seatbelts if they are fitted to the vehicle.
- It is the driver's responsibility to ensure that all passengers under 14 are correctly strapped into the vehicle.
- It is illegal to allow a child to travel unrestrained in the front seat of any vehicle.
- By law, children under 135cm (about 4ft 5in) in height who are under 12 years old must use an appropriate child car seat or booster seat - even on short journeys.
- If your child is more than 135cm tall, they can use an adult seat belt. But a booster seat may help the seat belt to lie on the child's body properly.
- Make sure children understand the importance of using their booster seat or wearing a seat belt - it's hard to force an older child to do something they don't want to do.
Choosing Child Restraints
- It is important that the child restraint fits the child and the car in which it will be fitted.
- Choose something that you can lift and carry and is convenient to use.
- Choose the seat to suit the child's weight and physical size. Be guided by size and weight rather than age.
- Not all seats are compatible with all cars. Always try before you buy. Ask the retailer to demonstrate the correct method of fitting for your car.
- Follow the manufacturer's instructions exactly to ensure that the seat is correctly fitted. If you can't fit it firmly in the vehicle then you probably have the wrong seat.
- Make sure that the harness is adjusted so that it fits securely around the child. You should only be able to fit two fingers flat between the child and the straps. The central buckle should not be over the chest or stomach. It should fit low over the abdomen.
- Never use a seat that has been in an accident, even if it appears undamaged, or one that has cracks in it.
- Regularly check that the harness shows no signs of wear and tear.
'Embrace Lives' seatbelt campaign
The Sussex Safer Roads Partnership has produced a short film to support their Embrace Life campaign. To date, this award-winning film has had almost 14 million views.