WARNING – Parents in the UK risking their children's lives by not restraining them properly

Not only is it dangerous but illegal and could cost you a hefty fine if caught

 
Parents in the UK are being warned of the dangers of not restraining their children properly whilst travelling on the road, which is not only putting them at risk of injury but could also mean a hefty fine if caught.
Failing to use the correct car seat for a child whilst on a journey is illegal and could cost you a fine and penalty points if you get pulled over by the police.
However, despite this fact and the danger associated with ignoring the law, it seems as though parents in the UK are willing to risk it.

 
When 2,000 parents took part in a survey, an alarming 34% confessed to allowing their children to travel without having a suitable child restraint, whilst 37% said they’d travelled with someone else’s child in their vehicle with no suitable child seat for them to use.
Also, one in 10 confessed to travelling just a short distance without their child/children being secured safely in their car and even more alarming, 16% admitted to letting their children travel in the boot of the car, whilst more than a fifth said they’d simply sat them down on a cushion!
According to the study, it was also found that 32% of parents have driven with a child sat on another passenger’s lap, whilst 20% confessed to squeezing their children into a backseat full of other passengers.
The new rules and laws regarding child car seats have left many parents in the UK confused and could be one of the reasons why parents are risking journeys without their children being secured in safely.
“There’s certainly confusion among parents about what’s required to keep their children safe,” said inventor of mifold and father-of-four Jon Sumroy.
From the survey, around 85% of the parents think that the UK Government needs to provide more information regarding child car seat laws so as to educate drivers on what the legal requirements are.
Out of those surveyed, one quarter had no idea how dangerous it was to use a standard seat belt for a child without using the right child restraint, with half not knowing that a child could slide under a lap belt in an accident.
Parents or drivers caught by the police for carrying a child under the age of 14 not secured in a vehicle correctly could be fined as much as £500.
“Parents need to take responsibility for keeping their children safe, whether in their own car or in vehicles driven by other family members or childcare providers, by using appropriate restraints at all times,” said a spokesman for road safety charity Brake, who’ve partnered with mifold.
 
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