Maidenhead & Windsor

Are they sitting comfortably – and safely? That's the all-important question for Maidenhead Royal Borough parents and other motorists with the introduction of new seat belt and car seat laws on September 18.

The new legislation means that motorists must ensure every child travelling in their car, where seat belts are fitted, uses either a baby seat, child seat, booster seat or booster cushion until they are either 1.35metres tall or 12 years old (whichever they reach first).

To drive home the safety message and raise awareness of the changes, Maidenhead Royal Borough road safety officers will tour borough schools during the first few weeks of term. They have also organised two free child car seat check days in conjunction with an independent expert to check the fitting of seats in cars, and have teamed up with the fire and rescue service, trading standards and community wardens to distribute information about the new laws and give advice to parents.

Maidenhead Trading standards will also be able to advise on the safety of toys, nursery products and all sorts of household products, as well as provide general advice on consumer issues.

The two car seat check sessions will be held on:

* Friday September 15 – Magnet Leisure Centre car park, Maidenhead, from 10am to 4pm
* Monday September 18 – Tesco car park, Dedworth, Windsor, from 10am to 4pm.

Cllr Antony Wood, lead member for Maidenhead road safety, said: " We all need to be absolutely scrupulous in ensuring that our children are safe when travelling in cars. These new rules will impose a legal obligation on adults to use the appropriate child seat or booster cushion for their child's weight and height.

"I would urge all motorists who carry children to take advantage of the child seat check days to get as much information and advice as possible."

Drivers are legally responsible for every passenger under the age of 14, and face fixed penalty fines of £30 for non-compliance or a maximum fine of £500 if a case goes to court.

The new laws will also make it illegal for rear-facing baby seats to be used with active front airbags – and if drivers are not certain that their airbag is deactivated they should not use rear-facing baby seats.

There are only three exemptions to the new rules which allow children to travel in the rear with an adult seat belt:

* for occasional short journeys if the right child restraint is not available
* where two occupied child seats in the rear of the car prevent the fitting of a third
* when travelling in a taxi (with under-threes travelling unrestrained in the back seat only and over-threes using an adult seat belt in the rear seat).

For further information about the new laws contact Philippa Baxter, Maidenhead road safety officer, on 01628

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead