As families across Ireland gear up for summer road trips, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) is urging parents and guardians to make child safety a priority and check that their child car seats are fitted correctly.
Figures from 2024 reveal that more than half of child car seats checked by the RSA’s Check It Fits service were incorrectly fitted including errors in seatbelt routing and excessively loose fittings – serious safety risks that could have life-altering consequences, the RSA said.
“Summer sees a big rise in families on the road, often with packed cars and long journeys,” said Sarah O’Connor, Director of Partnerships & External Affairs with the RSA.
“That’s why now is the perfect time to double-check that your child’s car seat is properly fitted which can be the difference between life and death in the event of a crash. Despite this, many parents are unaware of common fitting mistakes or the need to regularly check their child’s car seat as their child grows. Car seats may seem simple to install, but even small mistakes can compromise safety.”
The RSA’s Check It Fits service travels nationwide with trained specialists on-hand to carry out child car seat safety checks, and offer advice and demonstrations to help parents, guardians, and caregivers ensure their child’s car seat is installed and fitted correctly.
Since 2013, more than 67,000 car seats have been checked nationwide.
More information can be found on the RSA website – www.rsa.ie/checkitfits
