Nursery World Guide to Car Seat Safety

The Regulations

The law says that all children up to 135cm tall, or under the age of 12, whichever is first, traveling in a vehicle must use the correct child restraint for their weight. There are very few exceptions to this.

Each year, about 30 children under the age of 11 are killed while traveling in cars and around 400 are seriously injured. The proper use of child car restraints would prevent many of these deaths and injuries.

In a 30 mph crash, an unrestrained child would be thrown forward with a force more than 30 times their body weight, injuring themselves and possibly others in the car. The safest way for children to travel in cars is to use a child seat that is suitable for their weight and size. A properly fitted child restraint keeps the child in their seat and reduces the likelihood of death or injury in a crash.

Here at Nursery World we have trained car seat fitters to ensure you can choose the correct car seat for both your child and your car. Below is a Guide to Choosing a Child Seat, but nothing replaces the one-to-one assistance the Nursery World team can offer at the store in Blackpool.

Choosing a Child Seat

The most important thing is to make sure that the seat you choose is suitable for your child and for your car. If you use the child seat in more than one car, if for example a partner or grand-parent also uses the car seat, you should check the fit for each vehicle.

Before you buy review the manufacturer's websites and brochures to help you gain an understanding of what is on offer.

Consider how you will use the seat. Answer the following questions:

Will be constantly lifting it - a lighter weight seat might be preferable
Will you be moving it in and out of the car - a base unit may be a good idea
Do you do long journeys - a reclined seat or carry cot style may be better
Will a child minder/grandparent use the car seat - isofit may be better to avoid confusion of belt routing

Choose a seat that is suitable for your child's weight and height.

Babies need to be in rearward-facing infant carrier, and should stay in this for as long as possible. The maximum weight for most infant carriers is 8kg - but check the handbook for the car-seat to double check their weight limits.
Once your child has reached the maximum weight for their rearward-facing seat or the top of their head is above the top of the seat, they can be moved into a forward-facing car seat. Visit our Kids World showroom to see our selection for older kids.

Check on the manufacturer's Fit Finder web page to see if your car and car seat are compatible.

Maxi Cosi Fit Finder

Britax Fit Finder

Graco Fit Finder

If your car is not listed, we can check the fit in your car if you visit the showroom at Nursery World, Blackpool.

Buying a Child Car Seat

Always try before you buy. Most retailers will not allow you to return a car seat that has left the shop. At Nursery World we will help you try the car seat. Pop in to see us - we have ample parking.

Do not buy a second-hand seat, you cannot be certain it hasn't been involved in an accident. The damage can be invisible and could have seriously weakened the protective properties of your seat. Second-hand seats are likely to be older and not designed to updated regulations. The instructions are often missing.

Fitting a Child Car Seat

It is always safer to fit a child seat in the rear of a vehicle, but if absolutely necessary they can be fitted in the front seat.

NEVER fit a rearward-facing baby seat in the front if there is an active front passenger airbag. If the airbag went off it would strike the seat with considerable force and your child could be killed or seriously injured.

Use the fitting manual to make sure the seatbelt passes through the correct route. Some seats have an alternative routing if the seat belt is too short to go through the recommended path. Speak to one of the team to find this out, while we don't know the exact lengths of car seat belts, we know which manufacturers have shorter ones.

Push your weight into the child seat as you tighten the seat belt to make sure it is securely held and there is no slack in the seat belt.

The child seat should rest firmly on the car seat squab, with hardly any forwards movement.

Check for buckle crunch - this is where a seatbelt buckle rests on the child seat frame. It can seriously weaken the effectiveness of the child seat.

Keep the fitting instructions with the child seat in the car.

Never modify or alter the seat or seatbelt to make it fit.

If you are fitting a forward-facing child seat in the front passenger seat, make sure the car seat is as far back as possible. This reduces the possibility of head or chest injuries in a crash.

If you take the child seat out of the car, make sure you fit it properly every time you put it back in. If it stays in the car permanently, check it regularly to make sure it is still securely held.

For more information on Car Seat Safety visit the Department for Transport website.

Home Page

Sorry, there are currently no products to show here.

Our products come from a range of high quality manufacturers. The following are some of the popular brands: Quinny, Graco, Britax, Maxi Cosi

Your Basket - 0 Item(s) - £0.00 view

Home / News and Events / Car Seat Safety Information

Nursery World Guide to Car Seat Safety