Departments

The Community Safety Branch

THE community safety branch (CSB) has several sections and Road Safety is one of these.

Road Safety

The Road safety section is split into 4 further areas, Child Seat Information, Drink Drive, Kerbcraft and Speed.

Child seat information

	Front seat	Rear seat	Whose responsibility
Children under 3 years of age	Appropriate child restraint must be used	Appropriate child restraint must be used if available	Driver
Children aged 3 to 11 years and under 1.5m (4ft 11ins approx) in height	Appropriate child restraint must be worn if available. If not, an adult seat belt must be worn	Appropriate child restraint must be worn if available. If not, an adult seat belt must be worn if available	Driver
Child aged 12 or 13 or younger child 1.5 metres (4ft 11ins approx) or more in height	Adult seat belt must be worn if available	Adult seat belt must be worn if available	Driver

Should parents decide to place children in an adult seat belt, please note the following below. If any parent requires clarification on any point below, they may contact road safety officer on Philip Blake on 612222. The law in the UK and Europe is changing over the coming months. Anyone intending to visit the UK or Europe and driving whilst there with children, is strongly advised to check the local situation on seat belt wearing.

Dangers in allowing children to use adult seat belts.

Adult seat belts are designed for people who are more than 1.5m in height. Anyone less than this height tends to find the seat belt rubbing against the side of their neck and the lap part of the belt tends to lie across the stomach instead of the hips and pelvic area. The ‘Think campaign’ and RoSPA both now advise parents to ensure their children use a booster cushion for older children up to the age of 10 or 11 depending on their height.

Because of the belt rubbing against the neck, children tend to place the diagonal part of the seat belt either behind their back or under the arm that would normally be under the belt, this has the effect of the diagonal part of the belt now being positioned over the stomach and rib area of the body. Occasionally the diagonal is left rubbing against the neck.

In a collision at 30mph it is estimated that an unrestrained occupant is thrown forward with a force equal to 30 to 60 times its own body weight. The ‘Think campaign’ estimates the average body weight to be in the region of 3.5 tonnes. (Source Department of Transport dft)

Should a car occupant place the diagonal part of the seat belt around their back to improve comfort, then all the above forces in a crash will be placed around the stomach area, rather than hip and pelvic area (particularly in the case of undersized children) with the possibility of incurring serious internal injuries. If the diagonal part of the belt is placed under the arm then the above forces will be focused against the ribs and stomach, again with the possibility of causing serious injuries. When left rubbing against the neck, throat and neck injuries may than occur.

Types of child restraint available.

Child restraint type	Weight range	Age range (approximate)
Baby seat	Up to 13kgs	Birth to 9 -12 months
Child seat	9kgs – 18kgs	9 months - 4 years
Booster seat	15kgs – 25kgs	4 years – 6 years
Booster cushion	22kgs – 36kgs	6 years – 11 years

When choosing a restraint ensure it is compatible for your car and the shop shows you how to fit it. Keep the manual in your car. Never be tempted to buy a second hand car seat.

Infant carriers – Air bags

Air bag car technology has improved the safety for car occupants. However it is now known that a rear facing infant carrier placed in the front of a car with an active airbag is extremely dangerous and can lead to the death of the infant. The new European Directive is also aiming to address this issue.