In 2005, a Transport Research Laboratory survey showed that 5 per cent of 0 to 4 year-olds were not restrained in any way in the rear of the car. In the 2007 survey, this figure fell to 3 per cent.

Research also showed that:

• the morning and afternoon school runs are the peak times for accidents involving children
• even at low speeds, having your child in an incorrectly fitted seat could increase their risk of injury

Key messages

The aim of the campaign was to inform as many parents and carers as possible of the updates to the regulations that came into force in 2006, and to gauge public awareness and understanding of them.

The campaign used a mix of press, radio and online adverts to underline the key messages that:

• rear-facing baby seats must not be used in a seat protected by an active frontal airbag
• children of up to 135cms in height (around 4'5") or 12 years old, whichever comes first, must use the appropriate child restraint for their weight in cars, vans and other goods vehicles.

Child car seats

Check the law

Getting the right restraint for your child

The right baby/child seat/booster for your child depends on the weight of the child, not age.

• Group 0 and Group 0+:  baby seats are for babies weighing up to 13kg (approximately birth to 9-12 months). Baby seats face backwards and are fitted into the front or rear of the car with a seat belt. They must not be used in the front if the front seat is protected by an active airbag.
• Group I:  child car seats are for children weighing between 9 and 18 kg (aged roughly from 9 months to about four years) and have their own integral straps. They face forwards and are fitted in the front or rear using the adult seat belt.
• Group II:  booster seats for children from 15kg to 25kg (roughly 4–6 years), or depending upon make and model, from 15kg up to 36kg. These may or may not have backs.  They are designed to raise children so that the adult seat belt goes safely as low as possible from hip bone to hip-bone.
• Group III:  booster cushions for children weighing 22 to 36 kg (aged around 6 years and upwards). They are designed to raise children so that the adult seat belt goes safely as low as possible from hip bone to hip-bone... Generally, these do not have backs.

There are also multi-stage restraints, which cover Groups I to III, with elements to be removed as a child grows.

The weight ranges overlap to allow some flexibility when the time comes to move your child to the next size.

Modern boosters are designed to be used with lap and diagonal adult seat belts only.  These cannot be used with adult lap belts.  Check the manufacturer’s instructions.

Some manufacturers may use different names for their products and some have produced designs that cover more than one weight range.

Fit it properly

It's important that your child restraint fits well.  The shop you bought it from should have trained advisers to show you how to fit it properly.  A child could be at risk of injury in a badly fitted seat.  Check that your seat:

• is fitted as intended by the manufacturer.
• is designed specifically for the weight of your child
• meets the safety standard - "Regulation 44.03" (or later) will be printed on the label along with the weight range of the child for which it is designed.

Safety standards

All child restraints must meet the UN ECE Regulation 44.03 or later (eg 44.04) type approval standard. Products that meet this standard will be marked with a label showing an "E" and "44.03" or ".03" (or later) and the group number (or weight range of child) for which it is designed.

They are only approved for forward or backward-facing seats.  They are not approved for seats that face sideways (for example, in some 4 x 4s or campers).  This may give you capacity problems when you use a vehicle with sideways-facing seats and carry children who have to use child restraints.

Air bags

Rear-facing baby seats must not be used in a seat protected by a front air bag, unless the air bag has been deactivated manually or automatically. Forward-facing restraints should be as far back from the airbag as possible.

Using child restraints: top tips

Try before you buy.  Always try a child restraint in your car before you buy it to make sure that it fits in your car. Sometimes they don't - in which case you'll need to choose another child restraint.

Make sure you get a demonstration of how to fit it in the car and how to fasten and unfasten any integral belts or harnesses.

Follow the instructions.  Always follow the manufacturer's instructions thoroughly when fitting a child restraint and allow yourself plenty of time to do it. The same applies when it comes to strapping your baby or child in. Check your car handbook for any special advice about fitting child restraints in that car.

If you're not sure you have fitted the restraint correctly, try the restraint manufacturer's helpline for advice or speak to your local Road Safety Officer

Belt up.  Adjust your own seat belts and fasten properly before setting off in the car, even on the shortest of trips.

Don't alter or modify a seat yourself.  Never make your own changes or modifications to a child restraint or seat belt to try to make it fit, as you could compromise your own or your child's safety.

Three-point lap-and-diagonal seat belts are safer.  Lap-only belts don't provide the same protection as full lap-and-diagonal belts.  But if a lap-belt is all that you have available, then it must be used.

Persuading your child to use a child restraint
Make it theirs - take your child with you when you buy it. The fit for the child and in the car are the first priorities but thereafter get them to choose the colour or pattern they like best so that they feel it is theirs.

Tell them why - Explain to your older children why they need to sit in the child restraint. Don't frighten them with horror stories; explain to them logically and calmly that it will help keep them safe by stopping them bumping their head or hurting their legs if there's a sudden stop.

Get into the routine - Make the seat part of the "getting in the car" routine. Children like routine and repetition and simply treating it as something normal and unsurprising will help them get into the seat without thinking about it. Make a fun checklist: "Daddy seat belt - check! Mummy seat belt - check!"

Travel treats - Put together a special "travel pack" that goes with the seat. Put a drink, a book, crayons and a puzzle book or whatever your child enjoys playing with on car journeys.

Name it - Get your child to name the seat. He or she will be happier to sit on "Henry" the seat if it's a name they have chosen.

My older child doesn't want to continue using a booster. What can I do?
Explain that it's the right equipment for their weight to help them to use an adult seat belt safely. Tell them that it will keep them safe in the same way as the protective clothing worn by a favourite role model, for example BMX riders always wear helmets and racing drivers wear helmets too and are strapped into their cars.

Your child could be killed or seriously injured in a crash if they are in a rear-facing child car seat protected by an active frontal air-bag.