Pull up to a car seat safety check event near you

Wiltshire Council and its partners are running three child car seat safety check events in October to give advice and guidance on the safe fitting of child car seats.

The events will give people the opportunity to have their car seat checked for free to ensure it is suitable for the child and installed correctly.

The events will be attended by Wiltshire Council, Swindon Borough Council, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service and Wiltshire Police and take place across the area of the partnership which covers Wiltshire and Swindon.

The three car seat check events take place across the partnership area, which includes both Swindon and Wiltshire, from 10am-3pm at:

• 3 October - Swindon - Asda, Orbital Shopping Centre
• 4 October - Tisbury - Nadder Centre
• 5 October - Chippenham - Sainsbury's, Bath Road

The law requires all children passengers to be in an appropriate child seat, with all seats displaying the weight, height and age of child they are suitable for. Children aged under 3 years must use a correct child seat in the front or back of the car; children aged 3-12 or under 135 cm tall must use a correct car seat in the front and in the back where a seatbelt is fitted; children aged over 12 or more than 135 cm tall must use a vehicle seatbelt.

Cllr Caroline Thomas, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: It's really important that car seats are fitted correctly. People should always check their vehicle handbook and the guidance from the seat manufacturer.

We understand there can often be conflicting advice and these events are a great way to check seats are safely fitted, giving you peace of mind on the road. Our friendly staff will also give advice on what you need to do if your set-up isn't correct.

Statistics show that children are more likely to be killed or seriously injured as vehicle passengers than as any type of other road user, so it is vital that people use the correct car seat to keep children safe.

How to keep your children safe in the car:

• Always use the correct car seat for your child and vehicle, no matter how short your journey.
• Check your vehicle handbook and the seat manufacturer's guidance to ensure that a seat is compatible with your vehicle.
• Don't be tempted to use a second-hand car seat. It probably won't come with fitting instructions and you may not know how long it's been used for, how it's been looked after or if it's been in a collision.
• Always follow the fitting instructions provided with the seat. Seats fitted using a vehicle's seatbelt have coloured guides to help blue for rear-facing seats and red for front-facing.
• If you have an Isofix seat, ensure the drop-down foot is securely on the floor and/or the top tether is firmly attached to the vehicle mounting point.
• Don't rush to move your child into the next stage seat. As long as their head is still in the seat, it's safe.
• Ideally keep your child in a rear-facing seat until they are at least 15 months old or 13 kg, as this is proven to be safer in frontal impacts.
• If you are using a rear-facing seat in the front passenger seat, ensure you deactivate the airbag first.
• Although you can still use a booster cushion without a back if you have one, they can no longer be sold for use by younger children. A booster seat with a full back will protect your child's upper body.
• Check that the seat harness is tight enough by using the pinch test. Try to pinch the webbing together, if you can, it's not tight enough.
• Remove thick coats before fastening the harness.
• If you are using an infant carrier for a newborn, limit the amount of time they spend in the seat to no more than two hours at a time. If you're making a long journey, take regular breaks and take your baby out of the seat.