RSA’s free child car seat checking service returns to Louth

Parents and guardians in Louth will be able to have their child car seats checked for free when the RSA’s Check it Fits service visits the county on Wednesday 5th August and Thursday 6th August.

The service comes as RSA figures show that 54% of child car seats checked nationwide were incorrectly fitted, with almost a third requiring major adjustments.

Car seats may seem simple to install, but the installation is often easy to get wrong. The RSA have found that almost a third of seats fitted incorrectly needed major adjustments*. We know parents are not intentionally putting children in danger and it is an education issue. To help address this problem, the RSA Check it Fits service will be visiting to help parents and ensure car seats and restraints are correctly fitted.

Ron Richardson for the RSA commented:

“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, making 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 your area and give yourself the peace of mind that your children are travelling safely.”

The free walk-in service takes around 10 to 15 minutes and runs from 10am to 5.30pm. No appointment is needed, and parents and guardians can have their child’s car seat checked for added peace of mind.

It is important to make sure your child’s car seat is fitted and used correctly on every journey. Parents should regularly check the fitting of the car seat or get it rechecked at a Check it Fits service. For example, if you had your child’s car seat fitted in winter, now that the summer months are approaching, you may need to tighten the harness as your child is 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.

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