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19 Jul 2010 12:57
Halfords offers free child car seat checks during National Child Travel Week Monday 19th to Sunday 25th July.
More than half of mothers do not know if their child’s car seat is safe, a new survey has revealed. And almost three quarters of mums admitted they could be breaking the law without even knowing it. Research found that 51% of them had no idea how to check if their child seat was correctly fitted.
The study, carried out for car accessories giant Halfords, exposed the full extent of confusion surrounding government legislation and child safety seats.
A worrying 73% of mothers said they did not know what the current legislation was and 63% of respondents to the survey were not aware of the age babies should be before it is safe to move them into a forward facing car seat.
Statistics on car accidents involving children are stark: 30 children between the ages of 0 to 11 years are killed, 400 seriously injured and over 7,000 slightly injured while traveling in cars every year[1]. A correctly fitted car seat can help prevent some of these injuries
During National Child Travel Week Halfords will highlight the very real need for parents to be continually aware of car seat safety, even on the shortest trips like the school run and to remind parents and carers of the legal requirements. Any child traveling in your car who is up to 135cm tall should always travel in an appropriate child seat or booster seat.
National Child Travel Week takes place between Monday 19th and Sunday 25th July. Halfords will be inviting parents into stores across the UK and Ireland where 2,000 trained child seat specialists will be on hand to provide free advice on car seats.
Halfords Spokesperson Louise Iles comments, “In our busy lives as parents it is easy to forget the need to keep checking that car seats are fitted correctly and to adjust them properly as children grow. We can even be tempted to think it’s ok for a child to use an ordinary seat belt for a short trip, but adult seat belts are not designed to keep children safe and it’s against the law. There is no safe substitute for using a correctly fitted child or booster seat, suitable for the weight and size of your child. Our survey has shown that many of us are far from confident about getting this right.”
During National Child Seat Safety Week any parents in need of advice, whether they purchased their seat from Halfords or not, can seek guidance from their local branch. Child car seat experts will be on hand to offer up to date advice on the law and give free fitting demonstrations on Halfords comprehensive selection of child car seats and booster seats, including leading manufacturers Maxi Cosi, Britax and Graco.
For more information and details of your nearest store visit Halfords.com.
Notes to Editors:
Notes to Editors:
· 1 - Source: The German Insurance Institute GDV, Group 1
· 2 – Survey conducted by Halfords in conjunction with Askamum.co.uk with 1126 respondents
For National Child Travel Week ONLY Halfords offer FREE FITTING on ALL seats we sell and are trained to advise on, regardless of whether the customer purchased the seat from us or not.
· In each case the customer should be asked to remove and refit their seat under the supervision of Halfords colleagues.
· Halfords fitting policy still applies, and we do not advise or check second hand seats.
For more information contact:
The Group is the UK’s leading retailer of automotive, leisure and cycling products and through Nationwide Autocentres is also the UK’s leading independent car servicing and repair operator.
Halfords employs approximately 11,000 staff and sells over 12,000 different product lines with significant ranges in car parts, cycles, in-car technology, child seats, roof boxes, outdoor leisure and camping equipment. Halfords own brands include the in-store Bikehut department, for cycles and cycling accessories, Apollo and Carrera cycles and exclusive UK distribution rights of the premium ranged Boardman cycles and accessories. In outdoor leisure, we sell a premium range of camping equipment, branded URBAN Escape. Halfords offers customers expert advice and a fitting service called "wefit" for car parts, child seats, satellite navigation and in-car entertainment systems, and a “werepair” service for cycles
Halfords customers shop at 469 stores in the UK and abroad and at Halfords.com for direct home delivery or pick-up at their local store. Nationwide Autocentres operates from 224 sites nationally and offers motorists dealership quality MOTs, repairs and car servicing at affordable prices.