Kids Care Blog

The first journey for you and your little one is always worrying and the trails and tribulations involved in getting a car seat, fitting a car seat and then using a car seat are well documented. When researching this article I was overwhelmed by the number of parent forums discussing this.

When it comes to baby products safety should always come above both cost, and aesthetics. To help parents still a little unsure what the specific law in the UK is – here is a basic summary:

• All children under 3 years old must use an appropriate child restraint when travelling in any car.
• Children above the age of 3 years and up to 135 cms tall have to use an appropriate child restraint when travelling in any vehicles fitted with seat belts (very few exceptions are permitted).
• Baby seats which are rear-facing must not be used with active frontal air-bags.
• When seat belts are in a vehicle, the number of people carried in the rear of that vehicle must not exceed the number of seats available which have been fitted with seat belts or child restraints (this part is to apply from May 2009);

The UK’s standards and regulations regarding traveling with babies and children are actually reassuringly strict. In May 2006 new regulations were bought in to comply with the EU directive.  Stephan Ladyman, the then Road Safety Minister believed the new laws would save up to 2000 child deaths and injuries every year. “Small children,” he said explained, “need the protection that baby seats and child seats are designed to provide. Seat belts are designed for adults. Children who have grown out of child seats still need to use booster seats and booster cushions.”

Mark Blewett from Babyoka.co.uk, a supplier of a vast range of select baby products including fully compliant baby seats worries that although many companies advertising cheap baby seats from abroad have very competitive prices; the lax regulations mean that the quality doesn’t ensure safety: “Lots of people are buying car seats from America and Europe and these areas have different laws and safety standards. One key difference is that UK safety approved car seats are far more resistant to fire and much less likely to catch fire in an accident. We are actually just about to launch a Strapped-in campaign and hope to get other companies to commit to only sell car seats with the necessary UK kite marks.”

Mark Blewett from Babyoka explains further that, “all modern car seats sold in the UK must comply with the strict EU directive. Baby seats from afar often adhere to their own countries regulations which do not reflect our country’s, rightly imposed, emphasis on safety. You must be so careful buying seats off the internet for this reason.”