Car insurance: Child safety belt warning

Thursday, 03 August 2006

Parents are again being warned about new child safety belt laws which are due to come into force this September.

Motoring groups including the RAC and the AA claim there has been a distinct lack of information about the new rules, meaning many parents are still unaware of their responsibilities in this area.

Currently safety laws require all children under the age of three to be strapped into a car seat. But from September all children under 1.35 metres are required to use a safety seat or a booster seat, meaning children as old as ten or 11 may be affected.

Parents who fail to adhere to the new rules could face fines of up to £30, motoring groups warn, insisting that many parents could fall victim to such penalties as a result of ignorance.

Edmund King, director of the RAC, told the Scotsman: "We still feel there are many thousands of parents across the country unaware of the legislation."

The AA is calling for more high profile advertising to make parents aware of the soon-to-be-launched laws.

Drivers who do have children should check their safety seats regularly to make sure they are safe and secure.

Where a driver has been involved in an accident and the car seat was in the vehicle at the time it should be replaced, even if there is no visible damage, as it may be weakened.

Parents are advised to check their car insurance policy careful to make sure child seats are covered. Some insurance companies will contribute to the cost of a replacement seat following an accident.

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