The child car seat rules you need to follow and how to know if your child's car seat is safe
Illegal car seats sold online could be deadly 🚨
- A new investigation by Which? has found that illegal car seats are still being sold online.
- Described as ‘killer car seats’, they have safety defects which could be deadly.
- Child car seats must follow safety rules to be sold in the UK.
A new investigation by Which? has found that illegal car seats are still being sold online.
In 2014, Which? exposed similar illegal car seats, which were taken down, but have found that 10 years later, similar items have been found being sold on well-known online platforms, including eBay.
Made from a thin seat base and not having one central point of release for the harness, Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards have dubbed them “killer car seats” due to safety defects.
Sue Davies, Which? Head of Consumer Protection Policy, said: “It is appalling that these deadly car seats are reappearing on online marketplaces more than a decade after Which? first exposed them, but it is not surprising. This is just one in a long list of dangerous products that Which? has identified and have been taken down only for them to later reappear for sale.
“Children’s lives will be at risk, with less affluent households most likely to be affected, until online marketplaces are forced to take responsibility for the listing of these cheap but deadly car seats.”
What are the child car seat rules?
The rules state that all children travelling in the front or rear seat of any car, van or goods vehicle must use the correct car seat until they are either 135cm in height or 12 years old, whichever happens first.
There are many different types of child car seats, depending on the age and weight of your child. They include: Rearward-facing baby seat, Combination seat, Forward-facing car seat, High-backed booster seat, and Booster Cushion.
How to know if your child’s car seat is safe?
There are lots of different types of child car seats to choose from. To ensure your child’s car seat is safe and meets safety standards, it must:
- Conform to the United Nations standard, ECE Regulation 44.04 (or R 44.03) or to the new i-size regulation, R129.
- Look for the 'E' mark label on the seat.
- Be suitable for your child's weight and size.
- Be correctly fitted according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Janis James, Chief Executive of Good Egg Safety, says: "We are deeply concerned about the rise in illegal child car seats being sold online - seats that do not meet the required R129 or R44 safety standards.
"These products are promoted with glowing reviews, but they are nothing short of death traps.
“This is a real and present danger. We urge everyone to buy only from reputable high street retailers and always look for the orange approval label. No bargain is worth the life of a child. Please check before you buy."
You can find out more about the rules around child car seats at GOV.UK.