North East parents - six month on and 75% aren't aware of the car seat legislation changes

In order to keep babies and infants safe on car journeys, it’s not only essential to have a properly-fitted car seat for them - it’s the law. March 1st saw a change to the law governing car seats in the UK, but six months on parents are still in the dark about what this means.

The new rules meant that manufacturers aren't allowed to introduce new models of backless booster seats for children shorter than 125cm, or weighing less than 22kg. Parent Panel data from Halfords suggests that half (50%) of parents don’t know what the recent car seat changes actually mean, while 74% find them confusing.

Further research released today by Halfords reveals that six months on parents are still in the dark with 72% admitting they are still unaware of the changes and a further 17% admitting they still don’t understand the changes. Shockingly, of those who have heard of the new changes, nearly two in five (36%) have made no attempt to update the car seat they are currently using.

The change hasn’t affected existing models of seats or cushions and doesn't mean that they are unsafe or illegal - though parents are still being encouraged to make sure they know the rules for using child car seats.

And that’s not all…

New i-Size legislation due to begin at the end of this month will undoubtedly cause more confusion. i-Size rules make it mandatory for babies to stay rearward facing in a baby car seat until they are 15 months old and makes travelling with a baby safer in following three ways - child car seats will be easier to fit, provide better protection from side impacts and make it mandatory for babies to stay rearward facing until they are 15 months old, which is safer in the event of a collision.

There are two sets of car seat rules in force now, which is obviously confusing. You can buy and use seats from either perfectly legally and if you currently have a car seat that’s approved to the R44.04 rule (ie not i-Size), then you don’t need to buy another one.

The fast changing technical standards means that the range of products available on the market is better suited for younger children and there has never been a more important time to be informed.