Grandparents admit to not using child car seats for grandchildren

In a new Which? snapshot survey, we found a worrying number of grandparents could be breaking the law by not using a child car seat.

Our survey of over 300 grandparents has revealed one in five (22%) admit to not using a child car seat when driving their grandchildren aged 10 and under and could, therefore, be breaking the law.

Current UK law states that children must use a child car seat until they are 12 years old, or 135cm tall, whichever comes first – and it is the driver’s responsibility to check.  The fine for not using the correct child car seat is a fixed-rate penalty of £100, rising up to £500 if the matter is taken to court.

Our research also found, of the grandparents who do use a child car seat a third (33%) use a backless booster seat, some with children as young as three. Although these are cheap, they offer very little protection in a crash especially for very small children.

Which? has online advice on how to choose the most suitable car seat for your child or grandchild and we have a free downloadable guide to help parents and grandparents check if they have fitted their seat correctly.

Which? editor, Richard Headland, said:

“It’s worrying some grandparents could be breaking the law by not using a child car seat when driving their grandchildren. It’s important that children are travelling in the right seat that is correctly fitted. There is a range of free advice and information online to help drivers ensure children are kept safe in cars.”

Notes to editors:

  1. In August 2015 we surveyed 313 Which? members who are grandparents who regularly transport their grandchildren aged 10 or under in their cars.

Press Release: , , , , , , , ,