The new regulations governing the use of child car seats came into force on 18 September 2006. The standard fixed penalty for not using a child restraint is £30, if the case goes to court the maximum fine is £500
New regulations
| Front seat | Rear seat | Who is responsible? | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driver | Seat belt MUST be worn if available. | 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, may travel unrestrained. | Driver |
| Child from 3rd birthday up to 135cms in height (approx 4'5") 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 if the correct child restraint is not available: - in a licensed taxi/private hire vehicle; - for a short distance for reason of unexpected necessity; - two occupied child restraints prevent fitment of a third. A child 3 and over may travel unrestrained in the rear seat of a vehicle if seat belts are not available. |
Driver |
| Child over 1.35 metres (approx 4ft 5ins) in height or 12 or 13 years | Seat belt MUST be worn if available. | Seat belt MUST be worn if available. | Driver |
| Adult passengers (ie 14 years and over) | Seat belt MUST be worn if available. | Seat belt MUST be worn if available. | Passenger |
In addition, the revised regulations also say that rear-facing baby seats MUST NOT be used in a seat protected by a frontal air-bag unless the air-bag has been deactivated manually or automatically.
* Children under 3 years MUST use the child restraint appropriate for their weight in all cars, vans and other goods vehicles, with the single exception for the rear of taxis. They cannot travel otherwise. This means for example that they may not travel in cars, vans or goods vehicles which do not have seat belts installed.
** Examples. A 7 year old who is 140 cms tall is over the height for a child restraint and may use an adult seat belt. A 12 year old who is 130 cms tall is over the age threshold and therefore may use an adult belt.
*** If no seat belts are fitted in the front, then children under 135 cms in height (who are also under 12 years of age) cannot travel in the front.
| Resources | Description |
|---|---|
Child In Car Safety  (863KB - pdf help) |
Devon's own guide to child car seat safety. |
| LAW (499KB - pdf help) |
A leaflet with details of the new regulations and reasons for use. |
| Seat Belts and child restraints (905KB - pdf help) |
A booklet with the new regulations and general seat belt advice. |
| How to fit a child's car seat (365KB - pdf help) |
A pocket guide to buying and fitting a child's car seat. |
| Buckle up for baby and you (404KB - pdf help) |
A leaflet giving advice on how to wear a seatbelt through pregnancy. |
For further information or copies of the above resources.
Why use a child seat
When a vehicle is involved in a crash it comes to an abrupt halt. If not restrained, occupants will have their own crash into the vehicle structure. Restraint systems are therefore designed to help keep people away from the vehicle structure and to distribute the forces of a crash over the strongest parts of the human body, with minimum damage to the soft tissues.
Adults are restrained by a three point seat belt. This is designed for adults and not for children. Children are not small adults. They are proportioned differently and their key organs are in different places. Their tissues have different strengths and weaknesses and their needs change as they grow. Therefore they need a child restraint system to cope with the different stages of their development.
Having a suitable, well fitted and properly used restraint is essential to ensuring that your child travels safely in your vehicle. Buying the right seat can offer a confusing range of options - fitting the seat properly can be even more complicated.
We give FREE advice on choosing and fitting child seat restraints and we make every effort to ensure that we make this service accessible to you. Roadshows travel the County for up to 4 weeks per year, usually appearing in a supermarket car park in the main towns for a day at a time. Our Calendar of Events page will tell you when we are operating.
If you can't attend one of these Roadshows you can still visit any one of a number of retailers and garages throughout Devon - where personnel trained by Devon County Council's Road Safety Team will be happy to check your seat free of charge. These organisations are listed below and Devon County Council would like to express their gratitude to all those who offer these services in the interests of road safety. Their invaluable help and commitment is helping to reduce unnecessary injuries to children across the County. If your sales or service garage, or child car seat retailer would like to become involved contact the Road Safety Helpdesk today.
Special training days can also be organised for midwives, health visitors and care professionals in the private and public sector. An outline of the course content can be viewed on-line. Please contact the Road Safety Helpdesk for more information about future courses.
Links
Nationally Available Information
(351KB - pdf help) - a guide to the mistakes adults make carrying children in their cars. The guide uses crash test simulations to show the effects of these common errors and it is an essential read for anyone wondering how seriously to take the issue of in-car safety for children!
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