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New laws which mean more children must use child car seats are now in force.
Child seats or booster cushions are now compulsory for under-12s who are less than 4ft 6ins tall, but consumer group Which? says many parents are not ready.

Researcher George Marshall-Thornhill said: “It’s really worrying that so many of the parents we’ve spoken to don’t understand what the law means.”

Supermarket chain Asda is calling on the government to drop VAT from the seats as they are now compulsory.

Retailers have already enjoyed soaring sales in advance of the law’s introduction, with Halfords reporting sales of child seats and boosters having doubled compared to last year and booster sales at Tesco up 1,000% on last year.

Asda reported a 387% year-on-year surge of all types of car seats but said parents are paying too much because they are also being charged VAT on their purchase.

Not only is it a short run-up to the actual law changing but also the way it is worded is very confusing for parents

Pat Harris, Belt Up School Kids

The supermarket chain argues that the seats should carry the same zero VAT rating as certain other goods deemed to be essential items, such as some foods, books and children’s clothing.

Drivers face fines from £30 on-the-spot or up to £500 in court if they do not ensure that the children they are transporting comply with the new regulations. But it is not clear how stringently different police forces will implement the new law from the outset.

The onus will be on drivers to ensure they have the correct seats and that they are used. That will mean some negotiation with older children who have spent years using adult seats will now need to revert to using special child seats or booster cushions.

Safety groups have welcomed the move, which the government says will prevent 2,000 child injuries every year.

Duncan Vernon from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said the fines were to “reinforce the fact that children do need a suitable restraint in order to carry them safely”.

CHILD SEAT REGULATIONS
Child seats compulsory until children reach 135 cm or the age of 12
Children up to age of 3 must be carried in appropriate seat
Exemption for over-3s in “unexpected necessity”
Exemption if there are three children but only room for two car seats
Fine could rise to £500

Confusion over new child car seat laws

Road Safety Minister Stephen Ladyman said: “I expect that the police will seek to educate as well as enforce, but ultimately parents face being fined if they don’t comply with the new rules.”

But there have been concerns that parents have not been properly informed about the new laws, and many will have thrown out or given away their child seats years ago.

The onus will be on drivers to ensure they have the correct child seats and that they are used. That will mean some negotiation with older children who have spent years using adult seats will now need to revert to using special child seats or booster cushions.

Pat Harris, director of the transport pressure group, Belt Up School Kids, said: “Not only is it a short run-up to the actual law changing but also the way it is worded is very confusing for parents.

“Not just parents, but headteachers of schools, also some county councils who are unsure how to apply the new legislation.”

Exemptions do apply, such as if the car is not big enough to accommodate three seats across the back, then two will be sufficient.

And children who are on a short and occasional journey made for reasons of “unexpected necessity” - such as giving a youngster from another family a lift home - will be exempted from having the necessary restraint. But several police forces have pointed out this will not encompass arrangements between some families to ferry each other’s children on the daily school run.