A new survey from the motoring experts has revealed that there is still some confusion surrounding the correct way to choose child car seats.
The research showed that the majority of parent drivers are unaware of the rules concerning child car seats and as such may be inadvertently breaking the law.
The survey, which spoke to more than 1,000 UK parents, revealed that 84% were not aware of the legal height a child had to be to ride in a vehicle without a car seat. Perhaps less surprisingly, 79.1% were unable to answer correctly how many different car seat groups there were.
The results come almost a year after the new rules surrounding backless boosters were introduced – which meant they were no longer considered fit for purpose for younger children.
With parents openly admitting their lack of knowledge in this area, it is essential that retailers are able to step in and fill in the gaps with their expertise. Many suppliers offer dedicated training days to ensure that knowledge remains relevant and accurate.
The i-Size reguations first came into force in 2015 and were designed to keep children rear-facing for longer, provide better side impact protection and make car seats easier to fit correctly. These seats are height-based.
Seats which comply to the existing R44/04 regulations are weight-based.
To ensure you are buying the correct chair for your child, the RAC has created a child seat calculator which calculates the type of seat that is best for your child, giving both iSize and R44/04 options.
