Get you kid's car seat fitted for free in Laois

The Road Safety Authority invites parents to their face-to-face child car seat checking service in Laois this month.

Check it Fits is visiting locations around the country after a two-year absence due to the Covid 19 pandemic and is coming to Laois on November, Wednesday 9.

The RSA say over half of child car seats checked by the Road Safety Authority’s Check it Fits service have been found to be incorrectly fitted and needed some type of adjustment to make them a safe fit. The RSA says that if a child’s car seat isn’t fitted correctly, it could lead to a serious or fatal injury in the event of a collision.

 The RSA say that while car seats may seem simple to install, it's often easy to get wrong.

The service takes between 10-15 minutes and runs from 10.00am – 5.30pm, it is free of charge and offers parents and guardians reassurance that their child is safe while travelling in the car. It is a walk-in service, no appointment needed.

People are invited to come along to McLoughlin's SuperValu, The Arlington Centre, Droughill, Portarlington R32 DVF6 between 10am and 5:30pm on Wednesday, November 9.

If you cant get there the RSA has the following top tips for parents:

• It is now EU law that all children must travel in a child seat, booster seat or booster cushion.
• The golden rule for choosing a child car seat is making sure it is suitable for your child’s weight, height and age and that it conforms to the latest EU safety regulations (look for the 'E' mark).
• Do not use age exclusively as a guide while picking a car seat, as every child is different.
• When buying a child car seat, make sure you go to a retailer or visit the Check it Fits service who can show you how to fit it in your car. If the child car seat will be used in more than one car, make sure it’s compatible with additional cars as well.
• In order to increase awareness of car seat safety and reduce misuse rates, the RSA has launched a new voluntary Code of Practice for Child Car Seat retailers. The new Code of Practice will ensure that best practice is achieved when parents or guardians are buying a child restraint system. People should look out for the RSA’s Code of Practice stickers in retailer outlets or you can check the list of participating retailers on rsa.ie.
• Avoid using a second-hand child car seat or restraint unless you know its history. It may have been damaged in a previous collision, and although the damage may not be visible, it won’t provide the same level of protection for your child.
• Don’t move your child from a rearward-facing child car seat to a forward-facing child car seat too soon. If you’re unsure, always consult with your retailer before you buy your next child car seat.

The RSA add that it is important to use your child car seat correctly every single time during a car journey so parents should regularly check the fitting of your child car seat or get it rechecked at a Check it Fits service.

For example, if you got your child car seat fitted in winter now coming into the summer months you may need to tighten the harness as your children are wearing lighter clothes.

If your child’s car seat or restraint is incorrectly fitted, the Check it Fits experts will advise on how to fix the problem, demonstrate how to fit the restraint correctly and answer any queries participants might have to avoid potential serious or fatal injury in the event of a collision.

Toolkit that's helped young people to soar in Laois community

Aisling Sloyan is Senior Road Safety Promotion Officer for the RSA.

“While the RSA’s experience with its Check it Fits service shows that half of child car seats are fitted incorrectly, worryingly, it found that 30% of these needed a major adjustment to fix them. For example, the seat being excessively loose so as to make the fitting almost ineffective. 67% were minor adjustments, for example, the fitting being loose or a twisted seatbelt.

"Having a correctly fitted car seat is a simple measure parents, grandparents and guardians can take to ensure children are safe while travelling by car. I would encourage people to visit the Check it Fits service when it comes to County Laois and give yourself the peace of mind that your children are travelling safely,” she said.

For more information on Check it Fits visit  www.rsa.ie/checkitfits